Summer Blood
by AKANE INUTAISHO
Summary: An ancient vampire decided to play a game with a cocky newbie. Who will make a human fall in love with them first? Which will turn that human vampire first? The game goes wrong when one vampire falls in love. A horror romance.
1. Chapter 1

SHOUT OUT TO THE ONE WHO DESERVES FULL CREDIT!

I WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS INSPIRED BY A BOOK DONE BY R.L. STINE.

IT WAS ONE OF HIS FEAR STREET SUPER CHILLERS. I LOVED THE BOOK WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD, AND WONDERED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THINGS ENDED A BIT DIFFERENTLY. AND SO HERE IT IS, ALTERED FOR MY OWN PLEASURE AND INTEREST.

THE NAMES AND ALTERATIONS ARE MINE, BUT THE MAIN PLOT LINE GOES TO THE AMAZING AUTHOR, R.L. STINE.

I DID THIS WAY BACK WHEN I WAS 15, BUT I WANTED TO HEAR OTHERS OPINIONS.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

SUMMER BLOOD. by Akane Inutaisho.

 _CHAPTER 1_

Ryoko Kazuki's sandals clacked over the wood planks of the walk as she made her way quickly past the small shops and restaurants.

She stopped in front of the Wave Emporium, the largest clothing store in Crest Hollow, and peered into the window.

A hand-painted sign read: NEW BIKINIS HALF OFF. Making Ryoko laughed to herself.

What a joke! As if he needs to do that to sell them. , the old man whose family had owned the Wave Emporium for a hundred years, would do anything to make more money.

He was a stern, unfriendly man who smiled only when punching down the buttons on his old-fashioned cash register to ring up a big sale.

He will soon be smiling a lot, Ryoko thought. Just beyond town, Wave Haven Drive was already packed with cars as the summer people were arriving to open their beach houses. In a few days the white-skinned tourists would be lying on the sand all day, soaking up the rays, then filling the little town at night, all red and sweaty, eager to party and shop untill they drop.

Ryoko let her eyes move over the bathing suits in the window.

A very bright green bikini caught the light.

It probably glows in the dark, Ryoko realized, rolling her eyes at it.

Who would honestly wear that?

The sun had gone down behind the buildings along Main Street. The evening air carried a chill from the ocean to the east. Laughter and voices rang out from the Pizza Palace restaurant across the street.

It's starting, Ryoko thought. A new summer filled with new people, and new blood.

Oh, one thing you should know about Ryoko... she's a three hundred year old vampire.

And being as old as she was, she knew how to make use of the summer rush of strangers that came each year to Crest Hollow.

After all, she thought to herself, why let a fresh supply go to waist? The people here all tasted the same after a while.

Brushing back her thick mane of jet black hair behind the shoulders of her dark blue cotton sweater, she pushed open the door to the shop. It made a creeking sound worthy of a horror film as Ryoko stepped inside.

She was surprised that was not in his usual place behind the counter, saying for the seventh time how he would fix the door.

The shop smelled of vanilla and sweet spices, the sorce of which was a display of candles.

I'll bet that sells fast, Ryoko thought, picking up one and holding it close to her face to smell it.

The summer people would buy anything to get the musty, moldy smells out of their summer homes. She headed past the bathing suits and beach balls to the rack of summer sundresses against the wall.

I need something to attract, but not something too slutty...

Before she could look, she heard footsteps on the wood floor behind her.

Ryoko turned, surprised to see Cathy Morrow, a girl she had known for years, another townie.

They hugged a greeting.

"Are you working here?" Ryoko asked, her eyes returning to the dress rack.

"Yep. Only evenings," Cathy replied brightly.

"Town is filling up. I'm glad it's summer."

"Me too," Ryoko said, holding up a grey top and screwing up her nose at the thought of her in it.

"So not your color," Cathy said helpfully.

Then she added. " Your hair always looks so good, do you do it with this damp air?"

"The damp air is good for skin," Ryoko said, still looking through the dresses.

Her own skin was almost white as snow and was contrasted with her dark blue eyes and full red lips. The long cascades of black hair framed her high cheekbones and made her appear very dramatic.

"It's so nice to see new people walking around," Cathy said, fixing a stack of shorts.

"Crest Hollow is so BORING in the winter."

"Like living in a ghost town," Ryoko agreed.

"So, what are your plans for the summer? Are you going anywhere?" Cathy asked.

"I'm staying... Hey! How about this one on me?" Ryoko held up a light purple sundress with a halter top.

"Oh yeah! It'll look fabulous on you. You have such a great figure... And the color is perfect."

Ryoko laughed." Thanks. I have a blind date tomorrow night that I got talked into, and I hope to look nice."

Cathy smiled." Well, what is his name?"

Ryoko's dark eyes lit up." Xypher Carlock."

"Wooow." Cathy sighed with wide eyes.

"He sounds like he's from a romance novel!"

"I know!" Ryoko said as she walked off to the changing room.

She got out of her jeans and sweater and pulled the sundress on.

Because she couldn't see herself in the mirror, she had to guess how it looked on her, something she had worked at for years.

That Cathy, Ryoko thought. Always so willing to help, and she does taste rather spicy, if I remember right... glad I didn't kill her.

And whoever this guy is, he won't be able to resist me! What suckers men can be...

A few minutes later, having bought the dress, she thanked Cathy and headed out onto Main Street. Across the street some teenagers were packing into the Pizza Palace.

Next door, the Mini Market was crowded with shoppers choosing food to stock for their houses. Cars beeped as drivers looked for the best parking spaces on the narrow street.

Summer, here I come! Ryoko thought happily as she headed for home.

Xypher Carlock was tall and muscular, with a face you could call beautiful, long wavy dark brown hair fell just past his shoulders, intense, dark green eyes, and a broad, friendly smile that made you want to sigh...

He's really good looking, Ryoko thought as he approached in his black denim jeans and pale blue T-shirt, stepping under the lights of the Screen House, the town's only movie theater.

The smile on his face proved that he liked Ryoko's looks aswell.

She had arrived at the theater first, feeling nervous and uncertain.

How am I to know which guy he is? she had wondered. As the line of summer people went inside,she had realized she was the only one still waiting. Angry at the waist of time, she was going to leave.

But then he stepped under the lights and flashed her his friendly smile, her anger melted away.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, taking her arm and leading her inside.

On the way to their seats Ryoko had tripped twice and bumped into a man's knee in the dark, she cursed to herself in her head for showing what a complete clumsy ox she truly was, but he only chuckled and helped her along.

They sat in the back row. Ryoko found herself glancing at Xypher every few minutes, too distracted to concentrate on the movie.

His dark eyes almost glowed in the light of the screen. His expression stayed calm even though the movie was a horror.

About halfway through the film, he leaned over and whispered to her," Do you like this movie?"

"Not really, it's a not at all like the first one..." she answered honestly.

"Shall we go then?" he said, standing up and holding his hand out to her.

Soon they were back outside. The cool air smelled salty and fresh. Clouds snaked over a full moon that hung low in the sky.

"Would you please take a walk on the beach with me?" he said.

"It will be quieter there. We can talk." His green eyes seemed to capture hers.

As she stared back at him, she felt hypnotized by him.

"Yes... sounds good," she finally said, trying to snap out of it.

He must think I'm a real airhead, she thought with a sigh. I might feel sorry for killing him...

Ha! Who am I kidding?

They walked along Dune Road, which went from town across the tall, grassy dunes down to the beach. It was a short walk, about ten minutes. The bright moon seemed to move with them, leading the way.

After slipping down the dune, they took their shoes off and put them beside a patch of grass.

The sand felt cold and soft and wet under Ryoko's feet. She buried her toes in, loving the sensation, loving the moon, and loving the new person she was with.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"It smells so clean here," she said with a happy sigh, wrapping her arms around herself.

"You are cold?" Xypher asked, voice filled with worry.

She opened her eyes and gave him a shy smile as she caught him staring at her.

"With that dress, you should be," he said.

"It looks great on you, but it has to be a bit chilly in this air..."

She shook her head." Know what I feel like?"

He tilted his head to the side. How cute! Ryoko thought to herself as she said,

"I feel like running!"

Before he could reply, she took off, running along the shore with her bare feet kicking up clumps of wet sand, the rush of waves in her ears, the ocean wind lifting up her jet black hair.

She turned and headed away from the water, and soon he was beside her, his arms open as if to take flight. He ran with her, laughing, staying a step behind, now a step beside her, now a step ahead.

After a while they both fell headfirst into the soft, grassy dune, both laughing and rolling in the sand.

When they finaly got up,still laughing, not the slightest bit out of breath, brushing sand from their clothes, he took her hands.

And pulled her close.

He looked so handsome under the light of the full moon.

She knew he was going to kiss her.

She wanted him to.

I can always try to not kill him this time, she thought.

He didn't say a word. Those dark green, intense eyes, so hypnotic... they said it all.

And before she realized it, his arms were around her.

His face grew close. Closer.

And then she saw his mouth open.

And the pointed fangs came out and sparkled in the moonlight.

Xypher gently tilted her head back... and dug his fangs into her pale throat.


	2. Chapter 2

_CHAPTER 2_

Ryoko groaned. 

She moved her hands to Xypher's shoulders and shoved him away.

"Hey - " he yelled out, startled by her strength.

His fangs still gleamed in the shadowy moonlight as he took a step back.

"You moron!" Ryoko growled out, punching his arm." I'm a vampire too!"

"WHAT?" Xypher took a step back again, bewildered.

Ryoko let her eyes glow red and her fangs come out as she laughed at him. 

"Moron." she repeated, shaking her head.

"Well, how the hell was I to know?" Xypher asked angrily, his eyes were now red too.

Ryoko sighed and whined,"I got a knew dress and everything! That's what I get for a blind date..." 

"Why did you not say something?" Xypher asked, crossing his muscular arms in front of himself.

Ryoko rolled her eyes." What was I to say?" 

"Hey, I'm a vampire. How about you? Yeah, that is SO not how to start off."

"Why don't you silence your mouth?!" Xypher uttered a cry of disgust. 

"You wasted my whole night! I need the blood soon before I perish from the hunger!"

Ryoko laughed." And where did you get that line! Out of an old horror movie?" she joked, shaking her head.

"I am fare older than you! Of that I am sure." he said as he flung his arms up in the air.

And now that she knew what she was looking for, he did indeed have the look of an one of the Old One's...

He had a face of a teenager, but his skin was so pale and brittle, stretching tightly over his bones. His eyes were ancient and evil.

Crap, why me? Why of all the vampires did I have to end up flirting with an Old One? They are so pushy and cocky!

She pushed her hair back as they both turned to watch a group of teenagers, carrying coolers and surf boards, run past.

"Sigh... fresh blood." she whispered.

"Fresh blood all over the beach- and I end up with you." Xypher said in a low voice that she barely heard.

"Poor baby," Ryoko said as she turned to him.

He scowled at her, hands clenched.

"Silly- that was a joke!" she laughed, shoving him into a dune. 

"Don't you have a sense of humor?"

"Do not ever shove me again," he warned, his tone menacing. 

He floated up from the sand and hovered over her. 

"I have no humor when blood is concerned... or you for that matter."

"Oh, stop that whole scary vampire thing. It's not going to work with me, you jerk!" she yelled up at him.

He stared at her coldly as if trying to figure out how to react to her, or what to do with her.

"You can stare at me all you like. I don't scare easy."

She and Xypher slid into the shadows as two girls walked by the dune. They were both laughing at some joke one had told.

"Blood..." he said with desperation. 

"You are in luck. I have not waisted the whole night after all."

And before Ryoko could ask what he meant, a black mist covered his body. When the mist cleared, he emerged as a black crow.

Ryoko did not watch as he flew off after the girls, she herself was in the middle of changing to a smaller crow to chase after him.

I'm so thirsty. I need blood too, she thought.

Flora Jones watched the rippling light on the ocean as the clouds moved across the moon.

Her friend, Polly Adams, bent to pick up a stone and then skipped it across the water.

"I am sooo cold right now," Polly complained, walking behind Flora.

"But it feels so good!" Flora said. 

"I'm just happy to get out of that cottage for a while," she added, picking up her pace.

"Yeah, I was sick of your Dad yelling about the moldy smell," Polly agreed with a sigh as she came up beside her.

"Well, it's not like it was Mom's fault! Why does he have to take it out on her every single time? I mean- "

She stopped suddenly.

Polly stopped too, and followed Flora's gaze up to the blue black sky. 

"Aaah!" Polly cried out. 

"What is with those crows?"

Two dark forms flapped towards the two girls at top speed.

"Is it just me, or does it look like their coming for us?" Polly asked with a hint of worry.

"Maybe they will turn in a second, they could just be chasing a bug." Flora said with hope.

The birds were only a few feet from them now.

"So much for the bog theory." Polly said sarcasticaly.

"Run!" Flora yelled as the two friends took off.

"I think they live on that island over there. Do you see?" Polly said as they continued to run.

She pointed to a wooded island out in the ocean beyond a small dock, it's outline visible against the purple horizon.

"There used to be some beach houses there,"

Polly continued."But now it's all empty and full of bats, and these crows!"

"But aren't the ones here harmless?" Flora asked just as one crow dove at Polly.

Polly didn't have time to cry out or move.

She heard it kaw and screech as she felt it grab her hair. She felt it brush her face.

It scratched her, and tore at her with it's beak.

"Help me!" she cried." P-please help me Flora!"


	3. Chapter 3

_CHAPTER 3_

Frantically waving her arms, Polly tried to beat away the attacker.

Flora hesitated for a second, horrified by the struggle, then lunged forword to help her friend.

As sher dove toward Polly, the second crow swooped down. She could feel a cold rush of air and feathers as the creature darted past her with a loud and angry screech.

Then, to Flora's surprise, the second crow attacked the first, pushing it away with it's wings, bumping it away from Polly.

Screeching it's anger, the first crow flew off. The second crow was right behind it, kawing all the way.

The girls stood, open mouthed, and watched them untill they were out of sight.

"Are you okay?" Flora asked as she helped fix her friends hair.

"F-fine, I think... What is with those crows?""

"No idea." Flora said with a laugh. "I thought that the bats were creepy, but I think these crows are worse!""

Polly gave her a droll stare."Why would you be scared of the bats?"

"DUH! Because of all the vampire stories."

"There is no such thing as vampires, dummy," Polly said with a huff.

"So you say. Do you want to go back now?"

"What do you think?" Polly said with a roll of her eyes.

"Race you then!" Flora yelled as she took off at full speed."

"Hey! No fare!" Polly whined as she chased after her.

On the west end of the beach, past all the beach houses, beyond the grassy dunes, a tall cliff jutted out over the ocean.

In the shadow of the cliff, where no person could see, both crows turned to human form and faced each other.

"What the hell is your PROBLEM?" Xypher yelled, eyes turning red at Ryoko and thrusting both hands in the air angrily.

"Did you not see all the humans watching the little fit you were having? The beach was still crowded!" Ryoko said heatedly.

She didn't give him a chance to reply. 

"Do you want them all to be terrified? Are you so old you can't think of these things?!"

He growled furiously at her, his fangs came out." I was only going to take a little."

Ryoko crossed her arms. 

"And just one sip after an attack like that would have all the fresh blood scared away. Got it, old man?"

With a hiss, he moved in front of her with fury. 

"How old are YOU?" he demanded.

"Hmm?" She blinked at him twice. 

"Old enough to think better than you can," she said with a smug laugh.

He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked her up and down. 

"So, you think you are better than me. Is that what you truly think?"

She merely smiled at him and nodded.

His eyes returned to the dark green they were before as a smile slowly formed on his handsome face. 

"Let us play a game then."

"A challenge? HA! I'll win no matter what it is!" she said in a happy tone.

"Do you wish to hear what it is or not?" he asked flatly.

"What do you think?" She moved in slow circles around him, wanting to piss him off.

He watched her for a moment, then reached out and ran his fingers through her long black hair, making her stop in shock.

"Why not see who is better at getting blood?"

His fingers moved slowly through her hair, giving her chills. 

"Why not see who can get a young human faster? See who is more appealing?"

She grabbed his arm and pulled his hand away from her hair. 

"Fine. I will get a boy and drink him dry before you can find a girl!"

He rolled his eyes."Not like that, it is not hard enough. Three sips, Ryoko. One sip on three different nights. That is what it takes to turn a human to a vampire. Take too much, and the human dies. Three small measured sips, and the human is one of us."

"Hmmm..." she sighed and shook her head. 

"Only if I pick out the girl for you and you pick the boy for me."

"Wha? Why should I let you do that?" he said, crossing his arms.

She gave him her best, sweet, innocent smile. 

"Are you saying that I may pick one that you can't handle?"

"Don't be stupid, I can handle anything."

"Okay then. To make it MORE fun, we can't drink from any other human while we're trying to turn the two we pick. That will make it harder to not drink them dry! See if you can handle that, old man," she said with a grin.

"Let us start this little game then! I shall pick a boy for you, and you shall pick a girl for me!" he said as he began to change in the mist.

Soon they were rising into the nights sky, soaring high above the ocean.

Xypher, you are a fool, Ryoko thought happily.

I will win this.

They swooped low, looking at all the humans still on the beach in the night air.

And they tingled with exitement.


	4. Chapter 4

_CHAPTER 4_

Misty Summers knew she was trapped.

She backed helplessly into the corner and awaited her fate.

"Oh, no! Stop!" she cried, trying to protect herself with her hands.

But her two twin brothers, Aaron and Alex, closed in on her.

The two brown haired, seven year old monsters knew that Misty was ticklish behind her neck, and they always got her there.

"Help!" she called out as Alex held her hands so that Aaron could dive at her weak spot, making her sink to the floor.

Misty started to roll away, but Aaron jumped on her, pinning her to the carpet on the living room floor. Alex going at her neck.

She was gasping when Mrs. Summers walked in with shopping bags. 

"Misty, what are you doing? Why aren't you helping me unload?"

"Sorry," Misty said, trying to unload her brothers, unsuccessfully. 

"They won't let me up."

"You are ten years older then they are," Mrs. Summers said impatiently. 

"Why don't you just push them off?"

"Mom! They have me outnumbered, you know?"

"Yeah!" Aaron agreed and returned to tickling Misty's neck.

"You haven't even opened any windows," her mother went on. 

"It's so stuffy in here. Why didn't you open some windows?"

"She can't get up," Alex said as he was sweet enough to get off his sisters back.

"You boys are old enough to help too," Mrs. Summers said with a sigh.

"Aaaww! No we're not!" Aaron moaned as he flopped off Misty's shoulders.

"Lets go help Dad with the boxes." Alex said as he pulled his twin out the door before his mother gave them the look.

"Why is it that Alex is the younger one, yet he acts the oldest?" Misty asked as she got up and stretched her back out.

"Who knows? Now I want you to go open those windows," her mother said as she went into the kitchen.

Misty followed her and opened windows as she asked, "Mom? After we unpack, can I go into town?"

"You mean can you go see Damen?" her mother said with an empty tone.

"Ummm... yes. That was part of the plan." Misty said slowly, knowing what her mother might say next.

"No," turned from the counter to face her with a scowl. 

"You will be with that boy for most of the summer. I would like you to stay at least untill after dinner so we can get a little time with our girl. I admit that I was a little annoyed that his family decided to come here for the summer aswell... you need time away from him."

Misty wasn't all that shocked to here this. She knew her mother didn't like Damen, or his friend Rex for that matter, and both of her parents were always telling her to at least try some other guy for a while...

"No problem. I'll help as much as I can,thanks." Misty said, wishing to avoid the normal fight that follows this conversation.

Her mother smiled at her."Good. Now lets get moving!"

Misty spent the rest of the day helping her parents. And the twins only attacked her three times.

As the sun started to lower behind the dunes, made the first barbecue of the season. 

Hot dogs and hamburgers sizzled on the grill, the smoke blowing inthe evening breeze.

loved to barbecue. It was the only thing at the beach he did like. He hated the heat, hated the bugs, and was not a fan of the ocean. 

He was happy to lie in his hammock and read, just waiting for the evening so he could barbecue.

After dinner Misty excused herself and hurried upstairs to change. Looking at the purple jeweled clock on her wall, she saw she was already late. She had told Damen that she would meet him in town at six-thirty.

He'll wait for me, she told herself as she brushed her long curly dark blond hair. Her blue eyes looked back at her from the little hanging mirror in her room.

I'm not going to let Mom put him down anymore, she decided as she stood up and made sure her shorts weren't too short.

Damen is a good man.  
He's always so sweet to me...

She waved goodbye to her parents, who were playing a card game with the twins on the back deck, and headed along the path that was called Wave Haven Drive, which headed toward town.

What a fancy name for nothing but a narrow, unpaved path, she thought.

It was about a ten-minute walk from the summer cottages, past tall trees in a grassy field, to a small town.

Following the path, Misty was only about five minutes from her house when someone jumped out of the shadows of the tall trees and snatched her from behind.


	5. Chapter 5

_CHAPTER 5_

"Boo!" Damen MacRieve cried.

He let go of Misty and stepped onto the road, a taunting grin on his face, his bright green eyes challenging her to to retaliate.

"Damen- you ass!" Misty yelled, punching his shoulder as hard as she could with a growl.

He laughed at her and messed up her hair. 

"Aaaww, don't be like that," he said sweetly.

She turned to Rex Westly, who had followed his friend out of the shadows, his hands in his jeans pocket. 

"Tell him he's an ass," she said in a tone used to order soldiers.

"You are an ass," Rex said obediently to Damen with a smile.

Damen's grin did not fade.  
Despite the chill of the evening, he was wearing blue baggy shorts and a white tank top. 

Damen stood over Misty, tall and broad chested, a bit on the lean side. With his big green eyes and long flowing red hair, he reminded Misty of a fox.

Rex was the opposite of his friend. He was tall, but that was the only thing like Damen, he was bit pudgy with huge brown eyes that always looked sad no matter what he was feeling, and he had blond hair. 

He was quiet and shy with most people. He reminded her of a lost puppy.

And no matter how many dates she set him up on, he never had the guts to ask the girls out a second time. So she gave up trying.

"So when did you get here?" Damen asked, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Around nine," she replied. 

"The house was in bad shape, but we got it pretty much clean now."

"We got here yesterday afternoon. Mom was yelling most of the day about how dusty everything was. My head still hurts."

"But this place is still better than my run down house," Rex said a few spaces behind them.

He lived in a old ramshackle house at the edge of the town they lived in, not fare from the cemetery.

"You are going to love this place,"Damen said to him with a grin. 

"Surfing, sun, parties all night. And maybe a shark attack!"

"Damen!" Misty cried as she shoved him away from her, hard.

"As insane as ever," Rex said with a sigh.

"Whose side are you on?" Damen said in mock hurt as he put his arm back around Misty's shoulder and they continued to walk the curving path into town.

The air grew warmer as they moved onto the wood-planked walk that lined Main Street and they looked around.

"Look at that," Damen said pointing.

"They have a video arcade next to the Cone Shack!" He turned back to Rex. 

"Got money?"

"What's the Cone Shack?" Misty asked as Rex searched his jeans pockets only to pull out the lighter he always carried.

"It's the ice cream shop... wanna go?" Damen turned back to her with hope in his eyes.

"But you said we were going to check out the town, and the people, then go to the beach!"

"Oh, yeah, sorry I forgot. Lets go then." Damen said, giving her a smile.

They made their way up one side of Main Street, stopping to check out the shop windows before going to the other side of the street.

Even though summer had just begun, the town was packed. Slow moving cars crowded Main Street, the walks filled with people chatting and laughing.

"Look at the movie theater," Rex said as he pulled them across the street to study the old-fashioned building. 

"Looks like all horror films all the time, cool!" he said enthusiastically. 

He gave Misty a high-five.

Misty laughed when Damen moaned out loud. He hated horror movies, and couldn't understand their love of them.

"Ummm... what's happening over there?" He said as he pulled them away.

"Hate horror that bad do you?" Rex said playfully as he followed his friend.

"Oh, be quiet!" he said with a huff.

Just past the movie theater parking lot, there was a wide grassy field that was brightly lit with several spotlights, and the dark outlines of cars, trucks, and vans were vissible on the grass.

Hurrying across the parkimg lot, Misty and her friends saw what was going on. A carnival was being set up. As they got closer, they could hear the shouts of the workers, the whine of saws, and the steady thud of hammers.

A ferris wheel loomed over the field as colored lights were being strung from poles. Food and game booths were being hammered into place.

Men were bolting a small roller-coaster track together.

"I wonder if they'll have the Gravitron," Rex said quietly as they moved closer to the edge of the field.

"That thing that spins around and then leaves you pressed against the wall?" Misty asked.

"I hope not..." Damen said with a gulp.

"Sorry, I forgot you can't stand those sort of things," Misty said as she patted his arm.

"He can barely stand the Ferris Wheel!" Rex said in a teasing voice.

Damen turned red and said in a rushed tone, 

"Lets go to the beach already! Come on guys."

The night sky was clear. bright, and cloudless, and the sand seemed to sparkle in the moonlight.

The beach was full of couples walking,boys doing a little night surfing, and groups talking and laughing on blankets.

Music filled the air from different CD players, making a strange blend of rock, jazz, and hip-hop.

At the base of a dune, some kids that they knew from their home town had built a little bonfire. Misty called out to them and they were greeted with loud cheers of welcome.

Soon both Damen and Misty were sitting on the groups huge blanket and talking up a storm with all their friends. They had introduced Rex to some of the ones he didn't know so well and invited him to sit next to them, but because he wasn't real close to these people, he sat there in silence.

Misty ended up noticing that he was just sitting there, staring at the fire, toying with his lighter, the way he does when he's nervous.

She was about to say something to him, but then Damen slowly pulled her onto his chest and started to kiss her.

"That one right there," Ryoko said, eyes full of joy as she peered at Xypher, who was standing next to her atop a tall dune.

"What one?" Xypher asked as he waved his hand to shove away a bat that was flying close to his shoulder.

"The blonde girl with the shorts on," Ryoko said, trying not to laugh. 

"She'll be most tasty, look at her rosy skin."

"WHAT!? No, that one has a skinny boy hanging all over her! So I must protest," Xypher said in a heated whisper.

"I must protest," Ryoko imitated his voice, mocking him. 

"You really do sound like an old movie, you know that I hope?"

"Whatever. I still protest. She has a boyfriend! How am I to win her affections if she has a boyfriend?"he moaned, eyes on Misty.

She is very pretty though, he thought to himself.

Ryoko laughed at him. 

"Now why would I make this easy for you? So hury up and pick mine already."

Xypher looked down to the teenagers below, a smile slowly came to his face. 

"The pudgy one with the blonde hair and brown eyes shall suit you fine."

Ryoko peered down, fixing her eyes on Rex. 

"The one who looks so unhappy?"

"Yes," Xypher said, pleased with his pick. 

"You'll have a hard time getting him to open up to you, I can tell."

"No matter. You WILL lose this game," Ryoko laughed, giving him a light shove. 

"I will turn that boy before you can bite the girl!"

"What have I told you about shoving me?!" he said with a deep growl, shoving her so hard she almost fell over the dune. 

"Oh, stop being such a baby, were you this cranky when you were alive?" Ryoko said with a laugh.

His eyes turned red. 

"Little girl, I've been dead so long, I barely have memory of ever being alive!"

Ryoko blinked several times at him. 

"Oookay, whatever you say. But you don't scare me, so cut it out."

"Let the games begin then," he said with an evil smile.

Having selected their victims, they turned back into crows, and flew into the darkness with cackles of laughter.

Snuggled next to Damen, Misty looked up into the sky at the strange sound filling the air.

"Hey, isn't it a little late for crows to be flying?"

"Not around here," A boy across from her said with a short laugh. 

"They fly more at night then in the day here."

"That is a bit... strange," Rex whispered as he too watched the birds fly away.


	6. Chapter 6

_CHAPTER 6_

Rex stood on the low, smooth rock watching crows fly their way across the shore line, moving untill the darkness swallowed them up.

His hands were shoved in his pockets as he turned and allowed his eyes to follow the sloping line of rocks up to where they flattened out, forming a steep cliff. Then he looked back to the water, he could just barely make out the outline of the small island where all the crows supposedly came from.

Why ARE there so many crows and bats on this beach? he wondered to himself. 

Some people think both crows and bats are forms that a vampire takes... he chuckled.

This side of the beach was usually deserted, he had discovered. Maybe because its so close to the rowboat dock, and the island?

It didn't matter to him. The fact it was deserted was why he liked it so much. He could lean against the rocks and stare out at the ocean as long as he wanted.

"Hope I'm not turning into an old man before my time," he muttered to himself as he stepped away from the rocks and started to walk up the beach to go meet Misty and Damen.

If only I could stop feeling awkward around others... so out of place. 

Why can't I be more-

His thoughts were interupted by he sound of flapping close by. He turned around, only to see nothing, but now the flapping sound was coming from above him. 

Once again he looked but found nothing. So he turned to continue on his way...

That is when he saw the girl staring at him.

She stood next to the rocks, barefoot.

She was so beautiful that the whole beach seemed to light up.

"Hello," she said shyly with big dark blue eyes.

She looked Japanese, with long black hair and an elegent looking face. She wore a blue summer dress that made her pale skin seem almost white, which made her red lips pop out in a very dramatic way.

"H-hello, I d-didn't see you," Rex stammered.

Great, what a smart thing to say, moron, he thought to himself.

"Can you help me? I think I'm lost," the girl said in a helpless tone as she stepped closer.

"Lost? Where do you live?"

She is the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen, Rex thought. He noticed he was staring, so he looked down at the sand.

"My family just got here this afternoon," she told him, coming closer. 

"We're renting a cottage close to the ocean, but I think that I am all turned around..." she looked around and then back to him with a helpless sigh.

"M-most of the houses are at the north end," he said as he pointed to the other end of the beach.

She gave him a shy smile and said sweetly, 

"Could you show me the way? Please?"

He almost gaped at her."Sure.I'll show you the way, I'm going to meet friends anyway."

"Thank you sooo much!" she said, as she reached out and took his arm.

Her fruity scent filled his nose as he looked at her in shock. He suddenly felt dizzy, but he walked on.

"This is my first year here, so I don't have any friends yet," she said." You are so lucky to have people to hang out with..."

She turned to smile at him, still holding his arm.

"I'm sorry to here that," Rex said, feeling bad for her.

"Maybe... YOU could be my friend," she said with a hint of hope.

No way did she just say that to ME, he thought.

He tried to think of something to say to her along the way, but she was so close, and so beautiful that he was completely speechless.

Lucky for him, she was asking one question after another about his home and life, telling about her life and family in New Orleans.

I think she might like me, she seems to like me.

I wonder if I got the nerve to ask her to out if she would say yes...

Sigh, I'll never get the nerve though.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you my name!" she said with a gasp. 

"How rude of me! Sorry... it's Ryoko."

He told her his name.  
Her perfume was so sweet.

The beach seemed to rock and tilt under his feet for some reason.

"Look! That's my house up there!" she said happily as she pointed. 

"Thank you very much."

He tried to see where she was pointing, but everything was so blurry and foggy, he couldn't see anything.

He felt like he was wrapped in a cloud...

I should ask her out before she leaves and I never see her again, he thought.

Before he could say a word, she was kissing him with passion. 

He about fell backward in shock.

Soon her pale and cool arms were around him, pulling on him so gently, pulling his face back to her own.

She was kissing him, his very first.

Wow, he thought as her kiss slowly went from soft to hard. My first kiss is with the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life!

She kissed his mouth. His cheek.

His neck.

Kissing his neck as the world started to spin faster and faster. Kissing his neck as the ground tilted under him.

She was holding his head and kissing his neck hard, harder.

The smell of her perfume, the roar of the ocean, the softness of her lips, the fog, the thick fog. 

It all swept over Rex, swept over him, thru him, into him. Into his very bones.

Untill he sank into a cold, lonely darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

_CHAPTER 7_

Okay, where is he?

Misty made her way through the crowded aisle of the arcade, sounds of every game roaring in the narrow, barely lit room.

Where the hell IS he?

Damen told me to meet him here!

She had thought she saw him in the back a few minutes ago, but it was somebody else. So she was STILL looking for him.

Giving up on finding him in there, she went back out onto the street.

Fog was drifting in from the ocean, making strange shadows under the streetlights.

She pulled down the sleeves of her purple sweater, wishing she had a coat with her tonight.

Seaching for Damen, Misty turned her gaze down Main Street, filled with people moving in and out of the shops and restaurants.

She went and looked into the Cone Shack, her blue eyes trying to find him in the brightly decorated parlor.

He isn't here, either.

He said he would meet her at the arcade twenty-five minutes ago, then they would go find Rex at the beach.

Dang it, where are you?

She had spent the day with the twins at the beach, and had a nice tan to prove it. He was always teasing her about being pale, so she wanted him to see that she was no longer a

"Snow Flake", as he often called her.

This isn't the only time he's forgot about me though, she thought. He's usualy a sweet guy, but he CAN be a jerk.

Three times in the past year he had made her wait for him for more than an hour... and one time she waited all night! 

Maybe my Mom has a point... maybe I should try to date other guys.

She walked around a bit longer, staying close to their meeting place in case he showed up.

She felt so stupid, waiting around like some pet.

Is that what I am to him? she wondered.

"I am NOT going to wait for him all night, again," she said with a huff.

She turned to leave, and nearly crashed into a random boy.

A tall, muscular boy in a black sweater, brown leather coat, and blue jeans.

"Ack! Oh, I am sooo sorry about that!" she said as her face went red.

She looked up at him and found that he was a very handsome boy, with long, wavy, dark brown hair and dark green eyes.

I've always been a sucker for green eyes, she thought. And he has the face of a Greek god!

He's almost too handsome.

"Sorry," he said in a smooth and shy voice. 

"I did not intend to scare you."

"It was my fault," she said, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Are you lost? I have been watching you go in circles for a while," he said with concern.

His dark eyes locked onto hers, giving her chills.

"Thanks for asking, but I've been waiting for someone." Misty said with a smile.

"Sorry to have bothered you," he said sweetly, about to walk off.

"But I would love to talk to someone," Misty said quickly, not wanting him to go just yet. 

"Have you been here before?"

He smiled, about melting her on the spot.

"No, this is my first time. But so far, I like it here," he said, eyes still on hers.

"This is my first time too! Where I live it isn't so big, I come from a small town outside of California."

"Please forgive me, but you look very cold," he said as he removed his coat and placed it on her shoulders.

Misty blushed as his warmth and spicy scent filled her up. 

"Oh! Umm, thank you very much...?"

"Oh, by the way, my name is Xypher Carlock," he added as he reached out his hand to hers.

"What a cool name! I'm Misty Summers, nice to meet you," she said while shaking his hand.

"Misty Summers..." he said her name slowly. 

"Hmm, I like the sound of your name. It's like words to a song I heard once."

She found herself blushing. Damen always made fun of how her name sounded like the words to a poem.

Then his scent filled her up once again, spicy and sweet, she couldn't place it. She felt drawn to him, and it wasn't just because of his looks.

He seemed so sweet, but his eyes looked lonely if you stared deep into them.

"What if your friend did not know where to meet you?" he said, looking around.

"Sigh, I don't think so, he's the one who said to meet here and then go to the beach..." Misty shook her head.

"Well... he could have went straight to the beach," Xypher suggested. 

"If you like, we could go look for him together. At this time, the beach is filled up, so by yourself it would take forever to find him. Just tell me what he looks like," he offered sweetly.

"Damen is always forgetting things," Misty paused." But you don't have to waist your time helping me," she added.

He moved to stand next to her." I have nothing better to do and nobody to be with. How about that?" he said with a grin.

Wow, he really is a sweety, she thought as she returned his grin with a smile. 

"Well, if you put it that way..."

She felt his hand on her back as they turned the corner and began to follow Dune Road to the ocean.

"Have you noticed that there seem to be just as many crows out at night as there are bats? Isn't that a little bit odd?" Xypher asked her as one flew just past them.

"Yeah. They say that the crows and bats live together on the little island just off the shore," she said with a nod.

"Really? How strange..." his voice trailed off as they watched the bird swoop and dive out of site behind a dune.

A few groups of teenagers were hanging out around bonfires, and couples doted the sand as music and the sound of waves roared.

Damen and Rex were not within eyesight.

"If we go to the cliff we may find him that way," Xypher said with a little hope in his voice.

Misty and Xypher, walking close together, occasionally bumping shoulders, made their way toward the rock cliff. As they walked, he told her of his home in Oregon, and the fact he lived alone after his parents died in a fire when he was sixteen.

"I have been alone for so long now that I barely remember what it's like to laugh with others. So I came here, thinking that maybe I could change that. It must be nice to have someone who knows you so well that you can be yourself and have fun," he had said.

He seemed very mature for his age, and she liked that about him.

I bet money that HE could ride a Ferris wheel, she thought with a smile.

I hope he can find a girl while he's here, he sounds like he needs a friend.

They stopped and peered down at the empty beach.

Why am I so attracted to Xypher? Is it only because I'm angry at Damen?

"He isn't here," she sighed, feeling Xypher stand behind her. 

"But the ocean looks beautiful tonight."

"Yes, it is beautiful,"Xypher looked around, making sure they were alone.

Completely alone.

In the dark of the night sky.

He could hold back no longer. Misty was a sweet girl, and would taste even sweeter because of that fact.

Aaah, yes, the blood would be so sweet.

He needed it more than that stupid Ryoko could imagine.

The older a vampire got, the more blood they must have to survive. Something not known to the younger ones.

He was happy that he actually liked this girl, she may be a good mate for him once she was turned. So honest and sweet.

And she is rather beautiful, a natural beauty that didn't need make-up.

She stood in front of him, her back to him, arms crossed as she stared down with a sad sigh.

That Damen boy has no idea how lucky he is to have found a sweet girl liks this. 

They are becoming hard to find in todays world.

He leaned forward as his fangs came down in hunger.

Yes, females are becoming as bad as the men...

Gently, he raised his hand and moved her silky hair to show the back of her neck.

So soft. So creamy.

I almost feel bad for giving this girl the little pain she will feel.

Xypher opened his mouth wide and slowly lowered his head for a bite.


	8. Chapter 8

_CHAPTER 8_

Misty could feel Xypher move closer behind her back, so close she felt his warmth.

Is he going to make a move on me? And if he does, what would I do?

She was so upset at the fact Damen had blown her off yet again, how could he be so rude to her?

Now she felt the soft touch of a hand in her hair.

Chills went down her spine as she felt his mouth move closer to her neck, she could feel his lips just above her skin.

He's going to kiss me there, she thought with a smile. And I am going to let him do it... I want him to do it.

Just then, she felt warmth on the back of her neck. Soft, like a breath.

He IS going to kiss me...

And then she heard the flapping sound, followed by a hideous bird-like screech.

And then a dark, feathered,clawing creature fell from the sky.

Misty saw the black eyes and matching feathers and knew it was a crow.

She screamed and raised her hands to shield her face from it.

Screeching and kawing like mad, the crow dug it's talons into Misty's hair.

She had never screamed so loud before.

The bird was flapping it's wings against her head, tearing at her hair as it got tangled.

"HELP ME!"

She tried to smack it, but that only got it more stuck and more angry.

Then Xypher was there, swatting at it with his hands, trying to get a grip on the bird.

With a finale evil kaw, the crow broke free and flew up into the black sky.

Without realizing what she was doing, Misty ran as fast as she could.

She ran and ran, screaming the whole way, she could still feel it digging into her head... though she knew it was gone.

Gotta get away, gotta get away, gotta get aw-

Sher panicked thoughts came to an end as she crashed into Damen.

"Hey there!" he cried. 

"What the heck is up with you?"

She hugged him tighter then she ever had before as she waited for her heart to calm down.

"What happened?" Damen demanded, holding her tightly in his arms.

"I was looking for you here..." Misty whispered, body still shivering. 

"And a crow attacked my head. It got stuck, and was screeching at me. I freaked out because I couldn't get it out. But then Xypher tried to-"

"Who the heck is Xypher?" Damen asked, sounding annoyed at the thought of her alone with another boy.

"He should be behind me. He's so nice. He got the crow out before it hurt me." Misty said, pointing over her shoulder.

"There is no boy behind you. And what sort of name is Xypher? What were you doing with him?" Damen demanded.

Misty pulled away and looked to find Xypher and call him over.

"What?" She said with confusion.

There was no one there.

In a small cave near the middle of the rock cliff, in the shadows where no one could see, two crows landed silently. They whirl and twist as black mist appears to cover them. They step out from this mist in human form.

Xypher, his eyes glowing red, shoved at Ryoko, pushing her to the sharp cave edge. 

"You foolish girl!" he screamed. 

"You had better have a good reason for what you just did back there! You saw I was about to drink from her. Tell me why!"

She laughed at him." So, are you going to push me off to make youself feel better? Poor baby having a little tantrum?"

He ignored her insult. 

"Answer me. Why did you DO that?! And why were you spying on me?"

"Calm down sweety. Then we'll talk," Ryoko said, talking to him in a tone used for children.

She then started to straighten her dress.

"Stop talking to me like that," Xypher said heatedly."Answer me now!"

"Oh, fine." Ryoko sighed with a roll of her eyes."You were noy playing by your own rules. That is why I stoped you."

"What do you mean?" Some of the fury drained from his face, replaced by by bewilderment.

"You have to make her desire you before you drink from her. You can't just attack her," Ryoko said, shaking her finger at him.

"ARE YOU BLIND?!" Xypher cried out with a laugh."She clearly liked me!"

"Maybe," Ryoko said slowly. 

"But she wasn't looking at you. She may have pushed you away if she thought you were going to kiss her."

Xypher looked at her with eyes so cold, she nearly took a step off the cliff. 

"Next time, stay out of it. She is mine to toy with."

To hide the fear she secretly did feel, Ryoko laughed. 

"You sound like a selfish little boy. Didn't Mommy teach you to share?"

"Stop laughing at me! I am not a child," he snapped with gritted teeth.

"Do you honestly think you are funny?"

"Well, duh!" she said smugly." Big baby."

He took hold of the front of her dress, red eyes glowing like flames. 

"Stop that. And two can play dirty at this game. Laugh all you want little girl, I can play more dirty than you. So watch your back."

Ryoko could not hide her fear so well this time. 

"Y-you don't s-scare me!" she said with a small but loud gulp.

"I don't?" he said with a smile.

"Funny, cause I thought that I just heard you stutter a little right there..."

He released his hold on her and began to change back to crow form with an evil grin.

You may scare me a little, Ryoko thought, but I will win this game no matter what tricks you pull.

A few seconds later two crows floated up from the rock cliff, circled each other briefly, then few off towards their homes after one finale screech at each other. Both planning how to beat the other, and thinking of how sweet the blood would be the next night.


	9. Chapter 9

_CHAPTER 9_

Damen was up early that morning. He had a hard time sleeping after hearing the way Misty had spoke of that Xypher guy.

It's like she liked him, he thought. I mean LIKED him. And then Rex didn't show up at all... hope nothing bad happened to him.

So he waited in the kitchen next to the phone, eating toast, untill he knew that Rex was awake, and then he called over.

The Mother was the one to answer on the third ring.

"Hey, this is Damen. Can I speak with Rex?"

"Hi, Damen," she said sweetly." Rex came in late last night, so I'm not sure he's up. But I'll go see, okay?"

"Thank you," Damen said as she put down the phone.

He came in late? Where the hell was he then?

Did he... meet a girl? Damen chuckled to himself. Not very likely, he thought.

The sound of footsteps were just barely heard on the other end before a sleepy voice croaked. 

"Hello? Damen?"

"There you are! Man, you sound dead! Were you asleep?"

A loud yawn."What do you think?" 

And another yawn.

"Sorry... Hey, where were you last night? Misty got attacked by a crow and said she met some cool guy named Xypher."

Rex let out a short laugh."What person names their kid Xypher? If that's his true name, I feel sorry for him."

"I know, right? And she sounded like she thought he was cool. She talked about him forever..."

Damen leaned against the counter with a deep sigh as his mood started to go down hill at the thought.

"Don't worry," Rex said. 

"Misty is crazy about you. You've heard her fight with her parents over you."

"Thanks, man. So where were YOU last night?"

Damen said with a tone of worry.

A pause. 

"You won't believe me... I met a girl."

"Cool!" Damen couldn't hide his surprise. Rex hardly ever talked around girls, only Misty.

"Man, I'm so sleepy today," Rex said with yet another yawn.

"I don't care! Give me details! Don't leave me hangin'!" Damen moaned.

"She's so cool... She was lost. So we started walking on the beach. I was helping her find her house. She's Japanese, I think, and she is so beautiful! Damen, I'm talking movie star looks. Long black hair, pale skin, full red lips... huge dark blue eyes. Sweet scent..."

"Hope that I can meet her, she sounds cool. And it's about time, might I add." Damen said with a deep laugh.

A small yawn."Her name is Ryoko, by the way. Man, you should see this hickey on my neck! It got really hot and heavy last night."

"Crap! No wonder you're so sleepy."

"Yeah... I think that I'll just sleep for a while today." Rex let out another long yawn.

"I think you should." Damen said, chuckling to himself. "But you have to bring this girl with you tonight! I want to see her."

"I will... And sorry about not showing up last night."

"Just try to call next time so we don't worry so much."

"You sound like my Mom!" Rex said with a fit of laughter.

"Oh, shut up and go to bed." Damen said with a huff.

"See what I mean? Now I'll see you later." Rex hung up before Damen could say another word.

Damen hung up the receiver, trying to picture Rex making out with some hot Japanese girl, but just couldn't see it.

Rex rarely had the guts to talk to a girl. It had taken four months before he could have a long conversation with Misty, even though the three of them went everywhere together.

About time! he thought. He was wondering if she would be as awesome as Rex has made her sound.

His father walked through the door to the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of green flowered shorts, his long red hair was still messy from sleep, though he had been awake for hours.

"Hey, kiddo!" he said with a wide grin."Ready to go bodysurfing? I know that I am!"

Damen chuckled at the fact his Dad was still the long haired surfer dude he was back when he met Damen's Mom in the 80's.

"Sure Dad, just give me a minute to go change."

Rex and Ryoko were already sitting together at the booth in the Pizza Palace when Damen and Misty showed up a just a little after seven.

"He sure looks happy," Misty whispered to Damen as they waved and made their way through the crowded little restaurant .

Rex grinned as she and Damen sat down across from them. 

"Yo, guys. We already ordered pizza."

"Hi, I'm Ryoko Kazuki. Nice to meet the two of you," Ryoko said with a shy smile as she brushed her black hair over her shoulder.

She was wearing a red low cut T-shirt that made her pale skin seem even more pale. Light purple lipstick that matched her nail polish mixed with that pale skin made Misty think of a vampire she had seen in a movie once.

Oh, stop that! she thought to herself. You're just a little jealous because of how enchanting she looks, that's all there is to it.

She found herself staring at Ryoko's nails, long and perfect, as she ran her hand up and down Rex's arm.

Well, she seems to like him... Misty smiled to herself. And he sure looks happy with her.

They talked about the beach, about the town, and their parents. Misty was talking about how Aaron buried Alex up to his chin in the sand the day before, and then poured water all over the poor kid before running off laughing.

As Misty talked, Ryoko slowly moved her hand up to Rex's hair and started to play with the strands at the back of his head.

Sigh, Damen and I were like that at first, Misty thought. When did we stop doing little things like that? I miss those times...

The pizza came, steamy hot with extra cheese. Misty, Damen, and Rex dove into it hungrily as they put slices on their plates. 

"I just had a big dinner with my family," Ryoko explained, looking at the food with look of disgust."I couldn't eat another bite."

"Come on, just one?" Rex said with a grin.

"Mom made this huge pot of beef stew, she always makes big dinners, so I can't," Ryoko said with a sweet smile.

Just then her blue eyes opened wide as she stared at the front of the restaurant. Misty wanted to see what was so shocking, so she turned to see what Ryoko was staring at.

Xypher, trying to make his way through the crowd in the doorway, waved to Misty from the entrance. 

"There's Xypher!" she cried, as she started waving him over with a huge smile. 

She turned to Damen. 

"He's the one I told you about. I can't believe he's here!"

Damen simply turned and stared with wide eyes in the direction she was pointing to.

"Great," he mummbled in a low tone.

Xypher made his way to the table and stood next to Misty, his dark green eyes capturing hers. 

"May I ask what happened last night? You ran away so fast that I thought you were hurt. Are you okay? Did it scratch you badly or something?"

"Listen, I am so sorry about leaving you like that," Misty said." I just freaked and ran, but I'm fine. Embarrassed as hell for how I acted, but you forget that ever happened? I truly am sorry."

Xypher's eyes went wide."Sorry about what? What were we talking about again?" he said, acting as if he did forget. 

He tilted his head to the side, causing Misty to laugh out loud.

She pushed Damen over to make room for Xypher to sit next to her. 

"Come on Damen, move over a bit will you?"

Xypher smiled as his eyes lit up at her invitation, and he moved close to her.

He looks so good in those black shorts and grey tank-top, Misty thought with a smile.

"This is Damen, Rex, and Ryoko," she said, catching the glare the other girl gave him. 

"Do you know Xypher?" she asked Ryoko.

"We went on a blind date once a while back," she said,"But he wasn't my type... he's to old fashioned for me."

Xypher chuckled at her words. 

"She just did not like my way of speaking. She said I sound like an old movie character."

"Well, that's too bad. Because that is what I like about him. He's so polite," Misty said as Ryoko blinked at her like she was crazy.

Xypher gave her a smile that had her heart speed up. 

"At least some people appreciate good manners."

Damen coughed loudly. 

"So what was sooo cool about what he did last night? He just swatted at a bird."

Misty turned to him with a huff. 

"Like I said last night, he at least tried to do something. YOU would have freaked and just stood there yelling at ME to get it out, just like you did with the bat last spring. Rex had to get it out, right Rex?"

Rex started to laugh."Yeah! You were screaming worse than Misty was!"

Everybody at the table giggled at the drop dead look Damen gave Rex as his face turned three shades of pink.

"So tell us what happened! Why did the crow go after you?" Rex said.

They had just spent the last ten minutes telling stories about things that had made them all freak out in the past.

Xypher was afriad of fire, while both Ryoko and Rex were afriad of snakes, Misty hated high places and Damen hates crows.

"I don't know! It just came at me." Misty gave Xypher a shy smile. 

"This guy saved my face from being scratched off!"

Xypher blushed and waved off her compliment. 

"Hardly. Like Damen said, I simply swatted at the bird. I didn't know how to get it out of Misty's hair without hurting her more... It's hardly anything to be so thrilled about."

"Oh, tell us the details please?" Ryoko said as she took hold of Rex's hand. 

"Was it a big crow? What happened when it attacked?"

Misty told them what happened the night before. She could tell that Damen wasn't enjoying the story at all. He's just jealous of how Xypher rescued me, she decided. Maybe he's even jealous that I was talking to Xypher alone on the beach last night.

"Wow! SO scary!" Ryoko declaired when Misty had finished. 

"I hate crows anyway, because of how creepy they are, but now I really hate them! You poor girl, I'm glad someone was there to help you get it out. How scary!" Ryoko said, holding on to Rex tightly.

"It is very odd for one to just attack like that," Xypher said with a glare toward her that nobody else seen.

"But not all crows are as insane as the one from last night. You shouldn't hate all of them because of a few crazy ones."

"Well, I like crows," Misty said."In a way, their pretty, I love how their feathers shine with all kinds of colors. I love things that are beautiful when you don't expect them to be. Damen says that is one of the things that makes me strange."

Xypher gave her a shocked look, and then smiled at her.

"What others things do you see as beautiful?" he asked as he leaned closer.

"Things like... broken glass in sunlight," she said with a blush. 

"And oil rainbows on the road," she added.

"Things like rain on a car windshield at night..." Xypher said with a smile. 

"I like those sort of things myself. It's not so strange."

Misty couldn't believe how handsome he was when he smiled like that. And he agreed with her!

"Pass the garlic powder, will you Misty?" Damen said grumpily, obviously annoyed at the conection she and Xypher had just made.

"You know," Ryoko said with a perky voice."I find things like that pretty too! I thought that I was the only one."

Misty smiled at her."It's nice to know I'm not alone," she said as she reached for the glass shaker.

Just as she was picking it up, Xypher gently grabbed her wrist and pulled it back.

"Please," he said, looking to Damen."I am sorry, Damen, but I must ask you not to use that with me here. I'm allergic to garlic."

Damen rolled his eyes."I have never heard of that before. What are you, a vampire?" 

He was the only one to laugh.

Xypher blushed, his expression embarrassed. 

"I am sorry, but I am not making a joke about this. Please do not use it."

"He won't," Misty said as she glared at Damen.

"Okay,"Rex said as he stood up."I hate to eat and run, but I promised Ryoko a walk on the beach. And it's getting hot in here."

"It was nice to meet you both, and to see you again," Ryoko gave a nod to Xypher and smiled at Misty and Damen.

She stood up, tossing her long hair back, pulling down the hems of her green short shorts.

Misty saw Damen's eyes go wide as he looked her up and down.

I know she's gorgeous, but I am RIGHT here!

She punched his arm."Don't cover yourself in drool, wolf boy," she muttered.

"Wha? What are you talking about?" He pretended she was talking nonsense.

"See you all later," Rex said happily, pulling Ryoko through the crowded line of people.

"Yeah," Damen said, still staring at Ryoko's perfectly formed ass.

"Is he always this rude to you?" Xypher whispered in Misty's ear, causing her to jump.

"Lately, yes he is," she said with a sigh.

"Who's what now?" Damen said, turning his attention back to them now that Ryoko was no longer in view.

"Nothing," both Misty and Xypher said at the same time.


	10. Chapter 10

_CHAPTER 10_

"I like your friends," Ryoko said, holding onto Rex's arm as they walked their way along the shore.

It was a warm night, not a single cloud was vissible. The moon was low and was surrounded by stars that made the sand glimmer.

Many people were enjoying the arm night. Couples, groups, joggers, and twice as many teens as the night before were out.

Ryoko kicked off her sandals and pulled Rex toward the water.

The waves leapt up to the shore, then flattened out with a loud WHOOSH, rolling up the sand.

"Hey, umm..." Rex started to pull her back. 

"I'm really not a good swimmer. No joke, I suck in water."

Ryoko gave him a playfull grin."Are you sure? Or, is it because you don't have the right clothes on? We could go naked!"

He blinked at her as if she was crazy."No, I honestly couldn't swim to save my life."

She gave a sigh and then said with a smile, 

"Well, I could teach you! I'm sure you could get it fast."

"Not at night. I've heard that the undertow at night is unbelievable," he insisted.

Watching her face go from happy to sad made his gut hurt. 

"And I like walking with you more anyway," he said sweetly.

Her dark blue eyes lit up at his words. 

"Well then, why are we standing here? Let's go walk on the dunes."

He agreed without hesitating and, putting his arm around her waist, led her up the sand, the sound of the waves followed them as they made their way along the shore.

He's becoming more open with me, Ryoko thought, pleased with herself.

And though he is very sweet, he's not very fun, maybe if he was a bit more like that Damen boy. Now he's my type!

His blood tastes just as dull as his personality, but it's better than nothing.

"Mmmm...blood," she whispered.

"What was that?" Rex said looking down at her.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, just saying that there are not so many people here. I like being alone with you," she said with a shy smile.

Her thirst suddenly became overwhelming.

"I like when the beach isn't so full of people," Rex agreed."It's more romantic that way."

They were alone in the soft valley between two huge dunes, walking barefoot in the tall grass.

Both eager for each other.

Ryoko kissed hiss lips first, her eyes locked onto his. Then, she licked her lips, she felt her fangs come down as she moved her mouth slowly to his neck.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and opened for a bite when the screaming began.

It was inhuman screaming.

"What the hell?" Rex said as he pulled back and looked around for the sorce of the noise.

Ryoko held in a hiss of anger.

So close, so very close.

And I am so hungry...

She knew what the noise was before she and Rex seen the birds coming.

A huge flock of crows were flying at the two of them, making all kinds of awfull sounds as they came.

"RUN!" Rex shouted, he pulled on her arm as he ran the other way as fast as he could.

The sound of flapping wings and pissed off kawing was just a few feet from their heads as they ran at full speed across the sand. 

"What is wrong with those things?!" Ryoko said, trying to sound scared.

"I don't know! Maybe we were close to a nesting area or something, why else would they chase us?" Rex said without looking back.

Hmph! I know why, Ryoko thought. They are under the control of a vampire.

Xypher did this! He did this to get back at me. He was watching me and decided to but in!

What a dirty trick!

But you won't stop me, Xypher!

They ran and ran, the sound of the angry birds always just behind them as the kicked up sand clouds with their feet.

One crow swooped down and almost snatched a clawfull of her hair, she barely had time to duck out of the way as it missed, then it backed away with an evil cackle. 

She was sure that Rex didn't notice this, but it wasn't just crows that were after them, bats were mixed into the huge cloud of wings chasing them.

So it was without question that a vampire behind the whole thing.

Ryoko could run like this forever, but she could tell after the first three minutes that Rex was starting to slow.

They ducked behind large dunes and ran in a couple circles to try and lose the cloud that was after them.

Soon the sounds of the crows grew silent, so Rex slowed to a stop and turned around.

"Now they're gone. Huh, we had to be close to a nest or something," he said with a short laugh.

"I hope they don't come back!" Ryoko said, fixing her face in an expression of fear, she started to tremble as Rex moved close to her.

"It's okay now, we're alone, no birds," he said with concern.

Xypher must have been the one to snatch at my hair, he was leading the others over to us, Ryoko thought angrily as she pretended to be frightened.

"Hey," Rex said, pulling her into his arms."Stop shivering, okay? You're fine now, they didn't get you." His tone was soothing.

She looked at Rex with shy eyes. 

Poor guy, she thought. He's starting to fall in love with me. He thinks he's so lucky...

I wonder if he will still feel that way when he's a vampire, or will he hate me as I hated the man who turned me?

She sighed and pressed her face into his chest.

Her mouth was so dry all of a sudden. She could taste his dull, yet still filling, blood, thick and warm.

"Rex..." she whispered. 

"Please take me away from here. I'm just so, so scared right now."

He smiled, holding her close." Where do you want to go? You tell me, and then we'll be off."

And so she gave him a small laugh, as she started to pull his arm to come with her.

And he followed her into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

_CHAPTER 11_

A couple of nights later Misty made her way through the crowds on Main Street to meet Damen.

The restauants and shops she passed were all brightly lit and full of people. She moved through the see of sunburned faces, laughing people in all kinds of summer clothes, some still in bikinis and swimming shorts.

Halfway down the block, Misty could see that Damen wasn't on the corner in front of the Cone Shack where they had arranged to meet.

I hope he isn't late again, she thought, looking at her watch as she crossed the street.

She stood in front and waited, watching three boys run in the direction of the carnival grounds.

I wonder if the carnival has opened then, Misty wondered a she searched the crowds for Damen.

Misty loved all the things in carnivals, they were so much fun! If only Damen wouldn't whine about every ride...

"Hey, Misty!" A voice called from behind her.

She turned to see Damen running up the street with a guilty expression on his face.

"Did you forget again or what?" she asked with a glare.

He gave her a roll of the eyes." No, I did NOT forget. I just ran into some friends and got to talking to them."

Misty let out a sigh." Okay. So what do you want to do tonight? I think the carnival is open..."

Damen gave her a look that said she was crazy."That sounds cool, but..."

She hated when he said that, it was his version of a 'Hell no', and means that it was the last thing they would do together.

"But what? Do you have something else planned?" she asked in a worried tone.

"You know what? Misty you look good tonight, is that a new shirt?"

She was wearing her favorite light blue T-shirt with little black skull heads, a shirt she wore very often.

"Damen, what do you want?"

He motioned across the street to the movie theater, where four teenage guys were standing as if watching them.

"See, there is this Grudge triple feature tonight and the guys wanted me to come watch it with them."

Misty's jaw went slack."But you HATE scary movies," she said with a short laugh.

Damen blushed and coughed." Heh... yeah, but, they don't know that. And I don't want to look like a baby."

"So you would rather scare yourself so bad that you can't sleep tonight, instead of telling those guy no?"

He brushed his hair back nervously and glanced at the four guys."Well, I was thinking that if you came you could pretend to get scared before the movie gets to bad and then I would have to take you home... so they wouldn't find out."

"HA!" she said, not trying to control her anger. 

"I did that one time for you and one time only! If you want to be an idiot, then you can go do it yourself! Are you saying that you would rather do this than go to the carnival with me?"

He blinked at her."You know I hate the rides at those things..."

"Well I hate looking like a girly girl just so you can feel good," she said with a huff."So I'll be going now, see you later."

She expected him to protest, or say he would go with her. She thought he would tell those guys he had other plans.

"Fine, we'll do something together next time," he said instead."I'll take you to that carnival tomarrow, okay?"

She rurned away and started walking up the street. 

"Sure you will... not," she said over her shoulder with sarcasm.

"See you tommorow!" he shouted after her.

How could he not care how mad he just made me? Why would he choose something he hates over me? Misty asked herself, toying with the end of her shirt and taking long strides away from him.

Maybe I should have just went along with his plan and went with him...

No! Erase that thought right now!

I'm always the one to give in and do what others want! I always help him out and end up looking like some sort of fool...

This summer sucks. I watch my brothers most of the day at the beach, which isn't so bad when their not trying to drown me or burry me in the sand, other that it's okay. 

And then at night Damen blows me off one way or another!

Misty started to cross Oceanbreeze Road by the Mini Market, walking faster and faster.

She was so distracted by her anger that she crashed right into someone crossing from the other direction.

"Oomph!"

Startled, she jumped back, trying to keep her balance.

It was a boy she crashed into, he was wearing a dark red long sleeved shirt and black jeans.

He also had beautiful dark green eyes...

"Xypher! Sorry, I didn't see you."

"Oh, hello!" he said, still somewhat shaken. 

"I didn't see you, either. I hope you are not hurt?"

"No, I'm just fine... what about you?" she replied, embarrassed.

"Fine," he flashed her a teasing smile."We simply must stop crashing into each other like this, or do you like to smack into people?"

Misty could feel her face grow hot as she recalled how they first met.

Xypher let out a light laugh that made her heart jump. 

"Only trying to tease you, my dear, nothing more," he said.

I love how he speaks, Misty thought to herself as she gave him a smile. Why can't Damen call me something like that?

Xypher ran his fingers through his long brown hair. 

"Are you late for something? You were walking very fast just now and I would hate to hold you up if you have some other place to be," he said in a worried tone.

"Trust me, I have no place to go," Misty said with a depressed sigh.

A horn honked. They both jumped and realized they were standing in the middle of the road.

"Follow me, please," he said. 

She went with him to the walk as the car rolled by, honking three times as it passed.

"Are you going to go see Damen?" Xypher asked as he looked around.

"Don't say that name," Misty said, a hint of anger still in her voice.

His eyes went wide."Do not tell me he left you by yourself AGAIN?" 

Xypher's voice was full of distaste.

Misty gulped and looked away, trying to hide the angry tears that were starting to form. Then Xypher slowly lifted her chin with the tips of his long fingers, tilting his head to the side, he asked her what had happened.

Misty found herself telling him the whole story, even the part about how she had once before pretended to be scared of a movie just so Damen wouldn't have to watch the whole thing and his friends wouldn't call him a chicken.

As she told the details, she watched many things flash across Xypher's face...

One moment he looked concerned, then disgusted, and she swore she saw his eyes flash red for a second when he got angry.

"He has no right to use you like that! What has happened to men? He should not be so rude to you, and how do you stand it? A man is to treat a girl with respect! And you are one most deserving of such respect. Not many girls are like you," he said, full of anger.

Misty thought it was sweet that he be so upset on her behalf...

"Calm down a bit," she said."Not very many guys in todays world are like YOU, they don't think that way anymore."

He calmed only a little." So why DO you put up with him?"

She blinked at him."Well... Damen is my third boyfriend, and he's better then they were."

"Then you need to be with a true man," he said as he moved the tips of his fingers across her cheek.

She could feel herself falling into those deep green eyes... so deep, so lonely.

Why do I want him to kiss me? Misty thought. I want to make that lonely look go away, why?

"The carnival opened tonight," Xypher said sweetly."Would you please come with me? Just one night?"

"Yes," she said without thinking.

If Damen finds out he'll have a cow! she thought. But I don't care. I deserve to have a good time like a normal girl.

Misty looked up at the sky and said with a laugh," I would LOVE to go with you."

"Do you wish to call Damen and tell him where you are? Is he the type to get angry if you're with another man?" Xypher asked.

"No, he won't be too upset. And his family has a thing about cell phones, so he's never had one."

He smiled warmly at her. 

"Well then, shall we be off?"

I'm starting to like this girl, Xypher thought, slipping an arm around Misty's shoulder as they made their way to the carnival grounds.

She will be a good mate for me, that is, as long as she still likes me after the turn.

A pain of guilt hit his heart as she placed a hand on his chest.


	12. Chapter 12

_CHAPTER 12_

"What about the Twister? You liked the Bumper Cars, what about the Twister?" Misty asked as they stood in front of it.

The squeals of the riders filled the cool night air, mixed with the sound of laughter from people walking by.

"Ah, not that one," Xypher said, shaking his head and holding on to Misty."I like SOME rides, but not the kind that make you dizzy."

"Same here," Misty agreed, looking around the carnival grounds at the all the colored lights and long row of game booths with their back walls covered in stuffed animals.

"How about the Gravitron then? I love that one," she said.

"What's that?" he asked with a worried look on his face as he ran his hand up and down her back.

"Maybe later then, since you don't know..." her voice a low sigh as the feel of his hand gave her a warm pleasure.

They walked for a bit, watching people get on all the rides. Not many people were there yet, the place had only opened just a half hour earlier, so some rides were still empty.

The breeze coming off the ocean was warm and soothing.

Misty was glad she had decided to come with Xypher. He was sweet and fun, but most of all he was charming and had old time class.

He's the complete opposite of Damen, she thought to herself with a sigh.

She couldn't help but wonder if he would even care if he found out that she was with another guy...

"Some of these rides seem to be falling apart," Xypher said as they passed a carousel that had horsed with missing heads.

"Wow. And they expect parents to let kids ride on one that looks that bad?" Misty said with a tone of disgust.

"So you wouldn't do it with your child, even if he was crying for it?" he asked her as they walked on.

Her eyes grew wide as she looked at him. 

"NO! I would go find something else to make him happy, crying or not, it's better then taking the chance of him getting hurt! I don't care how others might view me, but I wouldn't let him get on that for nothing ..."

Misty paused at the proud look that covered Xypher's face as he gave her a warm smile.

"What is that look for?" she asked him.

"You would be fine mother," he said."Most would let the child on to stop him from crying, so as not to draw attention to herself."

She blushed and looked away, making him laugh warmly at her reaction.

They walked along a row of game booths. A girl about ten years old was throwing darts at a wall of balloons.

A guy working behind the counter was laughing and ducking out of the way as she kept missing.

Just then, Misty got an idea. She grabbed Xypher's hand and pulled. 

"Follow me. I know what we can do!"

He hesitated with a cute look of worry. 

"What is it?"

She pulled him along, and he allowed himself to be dragged through the maze of boothes.

"The Maze of Mirrors is the best place in a carnival!" Misty said happily as she got two tickets for them.

"What? NO! Please no!" he begged a he pulled her to a stop just before she dragged him inside.

"Huh?" she looked at him and seen that he had gone pale with a look of fear in his eyes."Xypher, what's wrong?"

"I just hate these things," his voice cracked as he said it. 

"One time I got lost inside one of those huge Mazes that filled up a whole building. It was so cramped inside-so hot- and nobody else was there... I was scared that I would never find my way out..." he started to shake as he got a far away look in his eyes.

He's feeling it all over again, she thought to herself. I can see the fear growing inside of him!

Poor baby...

Xypher could see it in his minds eye, that day when he went into a Maze of Mirrors for the first time thinking it would be the ideal place to hunt humans. At the time,I thought a place that I cast no reflection would be perfect, nobody would see me coming...

I ended up getting lost for six days, alone with no blood and the fear of them packing it up with the sun out.

He could feel the walls closing in on him all over again, so hot, so lonely.

Alone.

So hungry. So scared.

Then Xypher could feel small warm arms wrap around his chest and back, pulling him back to the present, out of the dark past.

"Oh, Xypher! I'm sorry, so sorry!" Misty said as she placed her face over his slowly beating heart.

He moved his arms to embrace her with a sigh of happiness.

She is so kind, he thought. I hope this kindness stays with her after the turn. She is so warm and sweet.

"I'm fine now, thank you," he said as she pulled away. 

"Why don't you go in? I can go to the other side and wait for you there."

"Are you sure?" she asked sweetly.

He gave her a true smile, something he only did with her. 

"Please go and have a little fun for me. Then we'll do something together."

"Okay then, but are you feeling better?" Misty said as she slowly started to go inside.

"Much better now," he said with a grin. 

"Now get in there and have fun. I'll see you when you come out."

He watched her go in before he made his way to the exit at the very back of the building.

It looks so simple on the outside, he thought. But it's so hot in there. 

The ceilings are so low... like a coffin.

A glass coffin with no way to get out...

Just thinking of it makes him hungry.  
So hot and hungry.

I need blood soon, very soon.

He thought of Ryoko and her poor human named Rex.

Was she having any luck tonight? Was Ryoko drinking his blood, winning the game?

He laughed as he recalled how he had ruined her first try.

He knew she was ahead of him, having tasted the blood once...

He should turn Misty as fast as he could, but some strange feeling he got in his chest every time he wanted to made him stop. He liked being around this girl, it was the first time in decades that he wanted to be around a person.

He wanted to make her truly love him before the turn, so maybe she would love him after it.

"Xypher?! Can you hear me? I think I'm almost there!" Misty called out from inside.

I'll try not to take more then needed, he thought. But I am SO hungry right now, I could drink two people dry...

"Almost there! You sound close," he called out to her.

It had been only five minutes since she had went in, so Xypher thought she had done very well by herself in there.

"Say something else, Xypher! I need to know which turn to make here!" she shouted back, then added,"Say anything! Please!"

His heart, which he sometimes swore he didn't have, started to beat faster as he heard a hint of worry in her voice.

Am I falling in love with her, or am I just old and lonely?

"Xypher?!" she called again.

She's starting to get scared because of what I said to her before. A sting of guilt hit him hard.

"I'm here! Don't worry, Misty! This Maze of Mirrors is only half the size of the one I got lost in, you'll be fine." he called.

There she is, he let out a loud sigh as she came outside with a big smile on her face.


	13. Chapter 13

_CHAPTER 13_

Misty burst out into the cool night air with a silent sigh of relief.

She was happy to be out in the open, no walls around her to confuse her.

When I went in I was fine. After all, I've always loved these things, even as a child.

But it started to feel so hot when I was about halfway into the Maze, she thought to herself. I started to think of what he said, and next thing I know, I'm starting to freak out a little bit as it felt like the walls were closing in on me...

I could start to feel myself slipping into the infinity of images, like I was going to be sucked into the mirror world and be lost forever. She walked up to Xypher and forced a smile to hide the fact she was panting a little.

He looks so worried about me! I can't tell him his story got to me, he would feel so bad.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, just fine," she said with a breath she didn't know she was holding.

I don't think that I'll ever be able to see those things as fun again, she thought unhappily. I'll always hear his story in my head.

He tilted his head to the side and looked her deep in the eyes. She felt like she was falling into a deep green sea.

"You are not good at fooling others," he said at last."I am sorry my story had you thinking of things you otherwise would not have."

"No, honestly, I'm fine. Just wishing we could find something to do together," she said with her most flirty smile.

"You are trying to change the subject, but if that is what you would rather do then I will follow along," he said with a wink.

"So my dear, where is it that you wish go?" he asked so sweetly that she still couldn't look away from his eyes.

"I love how you talk," she felt the words slip out without her meaning them to, making her blush red as she quickly turned away.

Sure, just blurt out that you love him while you're at it Misty! He must want to laugh at me, she thought.

When she finally got the guts to look at him, he was blushing lightly and staring at her in shock.

"I didn't mean to say it out loud!" she said, then added when he blinked at her.

"But I did mean it! You sound like you're from another place in time, I liked that about you when we first met, it's charming and sweet..."

What the hell is he thinking with that strange look in his eyes? Misty asked herself as he continued to stare at her.

I have to have her, Xypher thought after her words made his heart feel warm.

Yes, I will have her, he thought as he gave her a smile. I will start tonight and then take my sweet time making her mine forever.

"No girl has ever said something that sweet to me, thank you," he said to her as he gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

I'll just have to do something drastic to stop Ryoko from turning her boy. 

After all... I simply hate to lose.

He turned is attention to Misty's cute, blushing, face.

"Would you come with me on the Ferris wheel?" he asked as he looped his arm over her shoulders.

"Yes, I think that I would come with you," she teased enthusiastically.

They both laughed as they made their way to the Ferris wheel at the back of the field.

"You know, when I was a kid I couldn't stand high places," Misty said as she leaned in close to him. 

"But lately all I want to do is fly away from everything. That's why I love Ferris wheels! It feels like you're flying way up in the sky."

He pulled her closer."I love the feeling of flying. It's like you're free..."

"I know! That is why I love bike rides, the wind in my face feels so good," she said happily.

Misty leapt into the swaying car, then turned and pulled Xypher in, and they both sat back as the safety bar came down over their thighs with a bang.

They only went a few feet before the car came to a stop so others could get onto the car under them.

"So is it true that Damen won't even get on one of these with you?" Xypher asked all of a sudden.

Misty could feel her heart give a pang of guilt at the sound of her boyfriends name.

"He hates every ride at carnivals... he only plays the games and eats the food," she said with a sigh.

Xypher's eyes go wide."I'm sorry, it is just hard for me to see why he wouldn't at least try. I shouldn't have said his name..."

Misty laughes as she pictured what Damen must be doing at that very moment.

"It's fine. No doubt he's clutching his seat at the movie right now, watching evil ghost's kill people, wishing he had the guts to leave and not care what the other guys think..." she paused to smile at Xypher. 

"And here I am, with you, having a good night."

Xypher gave her a shy smile before he looked up at the sky.

"I can't remember feeling this human in a long time," he said in a far away voice.

My family was killed in a fire set by a vampire, Xypher thought. A vampire that had almost drank them dry first...

That same vampire decided that she liked me and decided to make me a vampire, so I could be her mate.

I watched as my family lay helpless as the house burned all around them and I was unable to help. Then I was turned by the monster who had killed the only people I loved.

I waited for months for the right time to kill the vampire who had turned me. After which, I was completely alone without a teacher.

And in time, I myself became the very monster I killed...

"Xypher? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Misty's words once again pulled him away from dark thoughts.

"I never have had the chance to go on more then two dates with a girl... so no," he replied.

Which was the truth, he always tired of girls by the second date and killed them. Misty was the first he liked to be near.

The car swayed again, moving back and forth.

It was then lifted higher and higher, almost to the top, before it once again came to a stop.

Misty looked up at the bright moon as a light warm breeze moved her hair.

"I'm having fun tonight, so thank you," she said with a happy sigh.

Xypher watched her and felt a strong urge take over...

He could not last any longer.

He loved her company, but craved her blood more than ever.

We are to high for people to see us.

And I have a feeling she will not try to stop me.

He watched as Misty leaned over, resting her hands on the safety bar, and looking out to the sea.

"We can see the ocean from here!" she cried out." WOW!"

I must do it now, Xypher thought with a gulp.

Go slow. Be gentle.

"Misty?" he asked softly.

"Hmmm?" she turned around and gave him a smile.

"Misty," he gulped again as his heart beat faster." Can I kiss you? Please?"

She blinked at him.

Please say yes, he almost pleaded to her as his hunger grew.  
Don't make this hard for both of us.

She leaned close and whispered to him, 

"Xypher, honestly, I want nothing more right now."

He kissed her mouth.

It started off gentle, then moved to hungry and deep.

Am I dizzy from the being so high? Misty wondered. Or is he actualy this good?

He pulled away and went to kiss her chin lightly.

She tilted her head back, looking up into his glowing green eyes.

"More?" he asked.

"Never stop," she found herself saying.

He kissed her again.

Then he sank his fangs deep into her neck.

When he pulled away, dark red droplets clung to his smiling lips.


	14. Chapter 14

_CHAPTER 14_

Damen awoke with a loud groan. He could tell by how bright it was in his room that it was well into the late morning.

With a yawn, he stumbled over to his dresser and ended up banging into it. With a curse, he pulled on a pair of red shorts.

He made his way to the kitchen, brushing the hair out of his eyes with both hands, he soon noticed the note his Dad left him on the counter. It said that his parents had went out surfing together at around seven and didn't know when they would be back.

With a sigh, he looked at the clock to see that it was almost eleven, and decided to head out.

Man, when did I make it home last night?

Damen asked himself.

He wasn't sure. But it must have been well after midnight, and it had taken forever for him to fall asleep.

I should have just gone with Misty, he thought with another sigh. She must think I'm both an ass and a baby for going with those guys last night, instead of just saying no to them...

He decided to call and apologize to her for how he acted, and make her feel better by saying how he had nightmares all night.

Just then, he realized that he had not been spending much time with Misty since they had came to Crest Hollow.

With a pang of guilt, he called Misty's house using the phone in the kitchen.

"Hello?" Misty's Dad said after the second ring.

"Hey, Mr. Summers. Can I talk to my girl?"

"Damen," the man said without trying to hide his distaste."Misty is asleep at the moment."

"But she's always up first thing! Is she okay?" Damen asked with worry.

"When I tried to wake her a bit ago she said she felt like she could sleep forever. She stayed out so late with that nice Xypher boy last night that I think she may have caught a summer cold. Xypher said she started acting dizzy, so he made sure she got home."

Damen stood with his mouth open. He could not believe what he was just told.

"She was with Xypher? All night?" he asked.

"He was nice enough to take her to the carnival last night after you left her alone," said with short and clipped words.

"Please tell her to call me," Damen said as he hung up before he got chewed out.

So she was with him, he thought. Can't say I blame her, after I just left her there and broke my promise.

With a sigh, he decided that he was to spent the day at the beach.

He called Rex, who was just starting to wake up himself, and both decided to meet at the beach.

When his friend arrived, the beach was already crowded with afternoon sunbathers, several swimmers, and about six surfers.

The two boys sat together for a while as Damen told his friend what had happened the night before.

All through the conversation, Rex was drifting in and out of sleep while laying on a towel in the sand. He would make comments and such, but he didn't actualy try to help or add much other then a few shakes of the head.

Damen sighed impatiently and nudged his friend awake for the tenth time.

"So what did YOU do last night? Did you see Ryoko again?" he asked, giving the other boy a shove.

"Uh-huh," Rex said with a loud yawn.

"We walked around town for a while. I wasn't up to much, so I went home early."

"So then why are you so sleepy? Is a cold going around or what? Man? Rex-come on, dude!"

Silence.

"CRAP!"

Damen growled as he saw that Rex was sound asleep.

What is with everybody here? Damen wondered, staring at his friend.

Is it just me... or is he getting paler-not darker?

As the sun went down, Ryoko was filled with excitement and felt as close to alive as a vampire could. The blood from the past few days had renewed her energy so much that she could feel it coursing through her body.

She felt the breeze coming off the ocean as it swept her long hair over her shoulders, and she sighed at the thought of the blood.

So rich and thick.

So sweet and tart at the same time.

The moon was so big tonight that it looked like you could touch it. Staring up at it, Ryoko tried to remember her life as a human.

Her memories grew weak with each century.

I was a rich girl, she thought. That much I do remember about my past. I wore clothes that cost much more than my friend's clothes.

My home was a huge castle looking over a small town... in Japan? 

Yes, it was there, so very long ago.

She laughed bitterly as she thought of all the men that wanted her back then, and she had no choice in who her father was to pick. It had made her so angry to have no say in her life, so she had run off with a man who had secretly been seeing her every night.

"And to think that man was a vampire," she said to herself. 

"I wonder whatever happened to my family? But since I do not recall what my last name was, there is no way for me to find out... Hell, I don't even remember what they all looked like."

She wondered if she should feel sad about that.

I wouldn't mind it if it all went away, she thought. It's not worth thinking of anyway.

All her childhood was gone from her mind as it was, but soon her whole LIFE would fade away.

How she hated the man who had claimed to love her.

She had got her revenge though, by turning a whole group of Vampire Slayers on him. 

Oh, how she loved the sound of his screams.

THAT, she would remember forever.

"OH, stop it!" she said with a huff.

This was a night of triumph, after all.

A night of victory, and then of celebration.

Ryoko saw Rex walking along the shore. This is MY night, she thought, all of her anger lifting as he came closer.

This is my night, my poor, shy, not-so-very-smart Rex.

You may hate me later, as I hate the one who turned me, but I am smarter then he was! I will not let you stay by my side for long...

He waved at her, and she moved toward him, her bare feet making tracks in the wet sand, moving out of the shadows of the rowboat dock. Behind her, the three rowboats tied to the dock bobbed like fish in the water, bumping against the wooden piles.

"Rex!" she called happily, running over to him, her sundress lifting high on her long legs as she ran.

She took his arm. Kissed his cheek.

So close to the blood. So near.

"Hi," he said with a blush.

"What do you want to do tonight?" she asked, looking him deep in the eyes.

"I've got no plans so, whatever you want," his voice sounded sleepy.

He is SO under my spell, she thought.

He's all mine.

She leaned in close to him, moonlight reflecting off her pale face. 

"We're all alone out here..."

He tried to look away, but she simply used more power to make him stay.

"Don't you want to kiss me, Rex?"

She waited for a smile to come across his face, then pressed her mouth to his.

He is MINE!

But what is that sound? That fluttery sound, like wings, coming from over the dock?

I don't care.

She pressed her lips harder against Rex's, sighing softly. And raised her eyes to the dark blue sky.

And saw the crow hovering low overhead.

Xypher! It has to be him! she realized.

He's come to rob me of my victory. He's come to get revenge for the time I messed him up.

Not tonight!

I will win tonight.

The crow hovered lower.

I must act NOW!

Her fangs lowered, and she moved to Rex's throat, and she bit deeply.

He let out a small gasp, before going silent.

The boy is mine, she thought, her pulse pounding as inhuman energy flowed through her.

Deeper her fangs went.

She drank in big gulps.

Rex tried to push her away for a second, but then his arms grew weak and fell to his sides.

The crow was closer now.

Too late.

The game was won.

Ryoko drank more and more...

Then, as Rex uttered a loud moan, of pain, of helplessness, Ryoko pulled her face away.

The color faded from Rex's eyes as they rolled up into his head.

"NO!" Ryoko shrieked." No! No! No! I drank more then I should have! Don't die! I was just so hungry!"

Rex fell to the ground without making another sound.

He would never make a sound again.


	15. Chapter 15

_CHAPTER 15_

Damen sat up in bed, pushing away the sheets. He groaned as he stretched, listening to the soft calls of birds in the nearby trees.

"I can't sleep," he said aloud, rubbing his eyes with a loud yawn.

He looked to the clock hanging on his wall to see that it was five. He wondered how the thing still worked, it was one of those old things that you see in movies, the kind where the little bird comes out. It still ticked, even though the bird had yet to come out since Damen had came to stay in the room.

He got up and went to the window to see the sun was just barely coming up through the trees.

He had been tossing most of the night, his mind whirling with troubled thoughts.

Thoses thoughts were mostly of Misty.

He had tried to call her after dinner, but her mother said she was out.

And then her mother was sweet enough to say that if he payed more attention to Misty, he would know where she was.

"With Xypher, most likely," he mumbled to himself.

I've got talk to Misty. I thought we were going to have a great summer together.

That had been his plan, but then again, when did his plans EVER work out? He wished that other guy would stay out if it too.

Dreams of her with Xypher had filled his head whenever he had started to fall asleep, so he had tried not to sleep at all.

I liked the ghost nightmares I had after seeing those Grudge movies better...

An early jog on the beach might help to clear my mind, he thought, so he moved to his pile of clothes on the floor and dug up a pair of brown shorts and white running shoes.

He closed the door to the house silently behind him, stepping out into the morning air. 

He began to jog past other beach houses to the dunes that led down to the ocean, the closer he got to it, the more the salty sea air filled his nose.

In about five minutes he was there, it felt good to run without the sun beating down on him.

The slow moving waves were still pitch black under the grey sky as Damen made his way along the shore.

The waves look almost alive, he thought with a shudder. Alive and begging for you to take a dive.

It was empty right then. All his. Not another person in sight.

Creepy, actually, to be alone out here.

And despite the sound of waves, there was no noise. No birds, no far off voices, even the waves themselves seemed to be quiet. It's like the calm before the storm, or more like the whole area was holding it's breath.

Like something bad was going to happen.

"Or did happen," he whispered, then he growled at himself.

Come on Damen! he thought. Stop being such a wuss all the time! It's just a little quiet, no reason to assume the worst.

Damen jogged slower but steadily, past the dying embers of a small campfire someone hadn't fully doused, past a blackened, charred log the ocean had tossed up.

The grey of the sky was starting to lift, showing the crimson morning sunlight underneath. The ocean water brightened with the sky, reflecting it's color.

Wish Misty was here right now, Damen thought, sweat dripping down his forhead despite the cool air. He looked over to the rock cliff that rose up at the water's edge beyond the dunes.

As he got closer, the sand under his feet turning to small rocks and pebbles, he looked to the small rowboat dock that jutted out in the shadow of the cliff.

Something appeared to be floating in the water beside the dock.

Was it a boat of some kind? He decided to get closer.

Crimson sunlight moved along the waters edge, he could see it better, something dark, farely large, bobbing next to a rowboat.

Some sort of fish? No.

He stopped just before the dock, chest still heaving from his long run. Wiping the sweat from his head with his arm, he looked at it.

And he almost passed out.

It was a person.

Bobbing facedown.

Not moving.

Before he realized it, Damen was in the water, his shoes soaked, but he didn't care.

He had been right, the beach had been quiet, too quiet.

He had been RIGHT!

Why did he have to be right?

Why couldn't he have just been a freaked out wuss like always?

And he was tugging the person by the shoulders, the water up to his waist. But the person was heavy.

He could tell it was a guy, and that he wasn't breathing.

How could he breath with his face still in the water? With his arms so stiff...

He was only in shorts, and his skin was white and smooth, like was in the water a long time.

"Why did I have to be right?" Damen moaned as he heaved the body onto the shore. Pushing his hair out of his eyes, Damen stood for a moment, hands on his hips, leaning forward, breathing deeply, trying not to run away like a little girl.

And then he bent over the body and turned it over onto it's back with effort.

And screamed.

"Rex! What? How, Rex?!"

His friend came into sudden focus. His exposed body was covered with gashes and cuts from banging into the rocks around the boat.

So many gashes.

So many that his blood seemed to be completely drained.

"The fuck man!? Rex!"

Cuts were all over his face and neck.

"How? Buddy, how did this happen? Why?!"

All those cuts made no sense.

Why would he swim out here, away from others? Hell, he didn't like water!

Did his body get carried here by the current?

Rex's body?

How could he be just a body now?

Damen sank to his knees, his mind swirling faster and faster.

Rex hated to go swimming.

So why go at night, alone?

Was he alone?

Why go into the water at all, when Rex knew how powerfull the undertow was?

Did some other person do this?

And if so, why?

"Why, Rex? What the fuck happened?" Damen cried, looking up to the sky.

Several minutes later three surfer's, carrying long boards over their heads, came upon Damen, still on his knees, still over his friend's body, still asking the same question.

WHY?


	16. Chapter 16

_CHAPTER 16_

The winged creatures flew and swooped above the trees of the small island, darting shadows against the dark sky.

Beneath the shelter of the trees stood shingled beach houses, long deserted by their human inhabitants.

Crows and bats had claimed the island years before. Vampires, who could take on the form of both animals, also lived there.

The island was only reachable by boat, and this kept most people from wanting to build on it.

Those who had built summer houses were driven away by the bats and crows, murdered by those who took the form of these animals, or had given up their blood and had become vampires themselves.

Now, Xypher waited in a darkened house. He had claimed part of the house as his own, having placed his polished, dark wood coffin against the the eastern wall, the safe wall.

He sat upon the window frame, sighing as he stared out at the diving bats and birds that the moonlight revealed.

The air was warm and heavy, the way he liked it. The flutter of wings was a pleasant background for his thoughts.

Thoughts of how he had ruined Ryoko's chances of winning the game. Thoughts of Misty, of her sweetness.

A pleased smile spread across his face.

He was still SO hungry, but it would be worth not drinking all of that girl's sweet blood.

And the summer was young.

He was happy to be patient.

Poor, little, impatient Ryoko.

He was thinking of her when the bat came down to the window. He jumped off the window frame in shock, the creature was screeching like a fire alarm, buzzing by his face. It landed lightly on the floor as it turned to a shadowy whirlwind of mist.

Afew seconds later Ryoko emerged, droplets of blood still clinging to her lips. She angrily tossed her black mane of hair over her shoulder and advanced on Xypher. 

"Get that disgusting smile off your face!"

"Why did you come in as a bat? Most Vampires think that crows have more class," he said in a innocent tone.

"I wanted to scare you, and by how you jumped, I'd say it worked," she said with a smirk.

"Must you act like a child, simply because you're a loser? Or did you have too much to drink?" he chuckled.

She glared at him, balling her hands into fists, groaning in anger.

"Shut up!" she snarled." Shut up old man!"

He gave her a smile."This old man just won the game."

"SHUT UP!" she shouted, shuddering in anger, her eyes red.

He stood calmly at the window as she paced, enjoying her defeat, his victory.

"Do not be a sore loser, little girl, it's not very lady like," he said with a grin.

"I am not a loser!" Ryoko declared, stopping inches from him."You're a cheater! You play a dirty game."

His green eyes widened in mock innocence. 

"Who, me? What in the world did I ever do to you?"

"You made those birds chase us," she reminded him, her face right in front of his. 

"Then you fly overhead, getting me all nervous and cause me to accidentally drink too much too fast!"

He laughed."So, I do make you nervous?"

"STOP!" she screamed." I KILLED that boy- without meaning to! All so you could win a game?"

"When you get older you will understand that all's fair in love and war." Xypher replied with a sneer, moving away from the window.

"Fine. But you're going to be the loser," she said firmly, following him, her hair flowing behind her as she moved.

He laughed deeply."HOW can I lose? You have no boy to turn, and I only have to bite Misty two more times."

"But you-" she started.

"Your clumsiness killed him. You must concede defeat."

"Concede defeat? Get with the century!" she laughed, following him to his coffin. 

"And I will win. I just need a new victim."

Xypher lowered himself inside the coffin. 

"A new victim? Be serious."

"I am serious!" Ryoko said with a big grin.

She had a plan, an idea that would help her win.

"Rex's friend Damen will be next for me. In fact..." She smiled at Xypher before she lowered the lid over him, letting him see her new found confidence. 

"In fact, Damen will be easy prey."


	17. Chapter 17

_CHAPTER 17_

Five nights later, tossing in bed, his sheets tangled, his blanket in a heap on the floor, Damen dreamed about Rex.

He saw a sandy stretch of beach, golden under the bright sun. High waves rose at the shore, capped with white froth, rose and then fell onto the gleaming sand.

Rex appeared, running at full speed. He was in the grey shorts he had died in. His footsteps made no sound as he moved across the long beach.

Damen tried to see Rex's face as Rex, running faster and faster, came toward him. But, although the beach shimmered in sunshine,

Rex's face was covered in a shadow.

Please, Damen thought, watching his friend lean forward as he ran, the waves thundering behind him, please let me see your face.

And then Rex came into clear view.

And his face was twisted in horror, his eyes bulging, mouth hanging open in a silent scream.

The sky darkened, grew black.

The blackness followed Rex, moving faster then Rex could run.

Rex was still in the sunlight, but the black cloud was gaining, about to swallow him up.

And then Damen saw that the darkness wasn't a cloud at all. It was made up of thousands of moving black creatures.

The black shadow chasing Rex was a cloud of CROWS.

Thousands and thousands of crows with feathery, flapping, and fluttering wings, swooping and shrieking so loud that the ocean could no longer be heard.

Running harder, sweat pouring down his forehead, Rex closed his eyes. But his mouth was still open.

Damn it, Rex- run! Damen wanted to scream out. But the cloud of birds swooped over Rex.

He toppled to the sand, first his knees, then facedown. And the crows decendedover him.

And everything went black.

Damen sat straight up in bed, relieved to see his room.

He stood up, half awake, half in his dreamlike state.

He made his way over to the window, the loud sound of the crows still playing in his head. Leaning on the windowsill, wanting the sounds to go away, Damen shook his head hard.

A thought had filled his head while in the dream, and now the word was on his lips.

Just say it. Say what you think happened, he urged himself.

And so he said it. 

"VAMPIRES killed Rex."

He knew it now.

The dream was a trying to tell him that.

The crows and bats on the beach. They all live on that island off the shore.

The fact thet Rex had no blood at all in his body.

Vampires.

Bats and crows were things that vampires could take the form of, Misty had told him that once.

The dream had revealed the truth to him.

Wide awake now, he quickly pulled on a pair of tennis shorts, pulled on the T- shirt he had on the day before, and headed for the back door without bothering to brush his teeth or hair.

The sky was grey, the air had a wet chill to it.

The sandy road was wet under his sneakers.

He realized it must have rained last night.

He didn't hear the rain at all. The dream had been to loud, first the thundering waves, then the cries of thr crows.

The vampires.

He had to tell Misty. He had to tell her he knew the truth about what happened.

This was one of the few times he wished his family would let him have a cell phone, he could use one right now.

Despite the sunshine and blue skies, the five days since Rex's death had passed in a grey fog of gloom and shadows.

The anguished cries of Rex's parents still played out in Damen's head. 

The whispers of the police. 

The frightened, hushed conversations of kids on the beach and in town.

Damen had only seen Misty once in the five days.

They tried to talk as if everything were normal, but neither of them could manage it. Then they tried to talk about Rex ...

That had been impossible too.

Damen had left her to go wonder alone on the beach, still wondering what had happened that night, why Rex went out in the water alone, how Rex had died.

They had called it an accidental drowning.

But it didn't make sense to Damen- until the dream.

And now he had to tell Misty.

Approaching the back of her summer house, he could see Misty through thr kitchen window.

He leapt onto the deck and hurried to the back door, calling inside. Misty looked up, startled, from the table. Her mother was just clearing the breakfast dishes. 

The twins came racing to open the screen door, both yelling," I'll get it first!"

Damen greeted everyone, still trying to catch his breath from the long jog from his house.

"Did you come for a free breakfast? If so you're a little late," said, trying to not sound as annoyed as she was.

"No thanks," Damen said, his eyes on Misty.

She was starting to look very pale, more pale

then she used to be. 

"Can I talk to Misty?"

"Play with me instead!" Aaron demanded.

"No- me!" Alex cried.

Misty stood up and gently brushed both boys aside."Damen and I are going out on the deck,"

she said, giving Damen a small smile.

Damen followed her onto the deck, wanting to tell her what he had figured out. The ocean air still carried a chill, the overcast sky was low and grey.

Misty leaned against the deck railing and stared out at the trees. Damen stepped beside her, then suddenly remembered that he had been in such a hurry that he hadn't even brushed his hair.

I must look like a mess, he thought. But he shoved theses thoughts aside, determined to share his new knowledge with her.

"So, how are you doing?" she asked slowly, still staring out at the trees.

"Okay. Not fine, but okay... you?"

"Same here," she said softly.

"I have something to tell you," he said in a rush, wishing she'd turn around and face him.

"Something important. I mean..."

Should I just blurt it out?

She turned, curious."What do you want to say?"

"Misty, listen, I want to tell you this. I know how Rex died."

Her pale face lost even more color. Her eyes narrowed."We know how he died... Rex drowned." she said, her voice a whisper.

"No, he didn't just drown. Listen- please," Damen pleaded, putting an arm over her shoulder.

She didn't reply, just starred into his eyes.

"Rex told me. No, he showed me, in a dream," he said, speaking rapidly, his hand still on her shoulder,"But I know it's real."

There was no way to put it out there gently, he decided. He had to simply get it out.

"Rex was killed by a vampire."

"Wha? What did you just say?" She pulled away from him, looking at him as if he lost his mind.

"Vampires," he repeated." You know all the crows and bats on the beach? Some are vampires. Bats and crows are drawn to places that have vampires, remember telling me that once? And Rex-"

"Damen! This is a very dumb joke," Misty said heatedly, crossing her arms. 

"I don't like it one single bit."

Damen started to reply, but the tiny red marks on Misty's throat caught his eye. He gasped, staring hard at them.

His mind went wild at the sight of them.

Am I seeing things? Are those just bad misquito bites?

Xypher's face rushed into his thoughts. Misty and Xypher. Misty and Xypher.

He pictured the two of them together.

Either that guy is a vampire, or I'm cracking up.

"Come on, we both know that Rex couldn't swim very well. Why would he go off alone?" he continued.

"STOP IT DAMEN!" Misty exploded.

"I know I'm right! Think about it. All those bats and crows. And all those cuts on Rex's neck-"

"Grow up, Damen," she said, her blue eyes flashing angrily."Grow up. Your best friend is dead, and you're making a joke of it!"

"It's no joke. Vampires-"

"Are not real! They're fake."

"But-"

She wouldn't let him continue. 

"I've got news for you, life is real."

"I know. But-"

"Life is real, Damen. It isn't full of vampires, and death isn't a joke." Tears were in the corners of her eyes now.

Oh, no, he thought, feeling his heart sink. I didn't want to make her cry. We've both cried enough this week.

"Rex is dead, and it's impossible to accept," Misty said, holding back the tears as best she could, trying not to lose it completely.

"But blaming it on vampires like some child isn't going to help anything."

"Misty," he said, not knowing what he was to say next, his eyes still on the two little marks

on her throat, worry filling his mind.

"Xypher is a vampire," he muttered. He didn't even know he had said those words aloud, didn't mean for Misty to hear them.

The tears now streamed down her cheeks, she glared at him furiously. 

"Have you gone insane? How could you say something like that?!"

She spun angrily and moved toward the house.

Damen started to follow, but she pushed him back, pressing her fists into his shoulders.

"Go away! Leave me alone! I don't want to see you again! Don't call me, and don't ever come over!"

"What's going on out here?" one of the twins asked, poking his head out the door.

"Are they fighting? Is sister okay?" the other asked from inside. 

"Do you think she needs help?"

They both came out the door, looking as if they wanted to yell at Damen for making their sister cry. The little knights in armor.

"I'll be okay," Misty said as she pushed past them into the house, sobbing quietly.

"You better get out of here, jerk!" Aaron said, about to charge at Damen, but his twin held him back.

"Leave, before Dad finds out," Alex said with a glare that was very scary for a boy so young.

Damen sighed miserably and, without looking back, stepped off the deck and headed back to the road.

It started to rain, a few large drops, a sprinkle at first, and then after a few seconds a hard, steady downpour.

Damen didn't notice the rain. His thoughts were heavier on him then any downpour.

How could I run over there looking like slobb and start talking of vampires? I must have been out of my mind.

Vampires...

She's right. I was a jerk.

Xypher isn't a vampire.

I'm just jealous. And upset.

And feeling sorry for myself.

Vampires!

I'd laugh at myself if I didn't feel so much like crying...

How did I ever get such a dumb idea in my head? And how could I have thought she'd take me seriously?

I've made a total fool of myself, he thought, shaking his head, shivering as a hard wind swept cold rain down the back of his shirt.

I've made a fool of myself. And now I've lost Misty forever.

"So what did you do in the rain all day?" Josh said as he was leading the way through the high grass, over the dune.

The gass, still wet from the day's rain, tickled Damen's ankles as he walked, and he wished he'd worn jeans instead of shorts.

"Nothing much," he said to the only decent friend he had made in this town.

Actually, he had spent most of the day staring out of the living room window at the rain, pacing back and forth, rolling Rex's lighter around in his hand, thinking about his dream, and how stupid it had been to tell Misty about it without stopping to think first.

He played with the lighter now as he made his way over the dunes with Josh. The lighter somehow comforting, his memento of Rex.

"Isn't it amazing that it rained all day, and the sand is dry already?" Josh said, kicking at it with the toe of his sandal.

Damen looked toward the ocean. The clouds had finally parted as evening arrived. The night sky was nearly clear, the moon a pale circle over the ocean horizon.

"I did something stupid this morning," he blurted out.

"Like the time you came with us to watch The Grudge movies, knowing you hate horror films?" Josh joked with a grin.

I wish that I had never told him that...

"No. This was really stupid," Damen insisted. In a few sentences, keeping his eyes on the sand, he told Josh about his dream and how he had rushed over and told Misty all about it. 

"It was a dumb move. I know that now," he concluded sadly.

Josh crossed his arms thoughtfully."DUMB is a good word for it," he agreed, shaking his head."STUPID is even better. I might even be tempted to use the word as strong as IDIOTIC to describe what you did."

"I didn't tell you so you could make jokes about it!" Damen snapped.

Why did I tell him? It's not like he's going to believe me.

"Sorry," Josh said with a raised hand." You just wanted to confide in someone, my bad okay?"

"Fine." Damen muttered.

A crow swooped down low just ahead of them.

Damen watched as another crow joined it and they hovered over the next dune.

"They say the reason we have so many crows here is because they hunt the bats, and all the bats are here because the island off shore with all those old houses is as good as a bunch of caves." Josh said as he followed Damen's gaze.

"Sure, whatever," Damen said with a sigh.

"Listen, I understand why you're so edgy. Hell, I'm still freaked over Rex's strange death. And then that guy snatches your girl..."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore, okay?" Damen said with a gruff tone.

"Um, okay. Hey, I'm going to the Cone Shack," Josh said slowly."Do you want to come?"

Damen shook his head." I think that I'll just walk for a bit. So I'll see you later, okay?"

Josh gave him a short wave as he headed off.

"Cheer up, dude!" he called back. 

"Things will get better!"

Sure they will, Damen thought with a roll of his eyes.

He made his way over the dune. Then seeing a group of kids he knew on the beach, he turned, eager not to be seen, and began to walk quickly in the opposite direction.

He found himself thinking of ways to apologize to Misty. But none of them seemed right. 

To be honest, he had more to apologize for than just this morning. The night of the movie he had been rude to her, and then that one time he had watched Ryoko's ass go out the door because he wanted Misty to stop drooling over Xypher and look at him... 

That had been stupid of him.

As he walked the sand, he tried to think of how he could ask her to go out with him again, how he could ask her to stop seeing Xypher. But that seemed impossible too.

Shaking his head, he tried to push all of those thoughts from his mind, tried to let the steady rush of the waves drown out all of his useless thinking.

He stopped short as something caught his eye up ahead.

Something huddled low and dark on a high dune.

Low and dark and still.

"Oh, hell no," he uttered aloud, staring hard at whatever it was.

What is that? Another body?


	18. Chapter 18

_CHAPTER 18_

Frozen in horror, Damen stared across the low, dark dune. His breath burst out in loud gasps.

He had the urge to turn and run, but knew he had to see what was huddled there on the sand.

Walking unsteadily, trying to focus his eyes in the darkness, he made his way to the dune.

When he saw her there, sitting in black jeans and a long-sleeved black top, her legs pulled up, her arms encircling her knees, her head bowed, he stopped in surpise.

"Ryoko?"

She didn't respond.

"Ryoko?" he repeated more loudly, taking a slow step toward her. He stood over her now, staring down at her mane of black hair.

"Hello- Ryoko?"

He saw for the first time that her shoulders were shaking.

And when she finally lifted her face up to him, he saw the tear-soaked cheeks, the wet eyes, and realized she had been crying.

"Sorry," Damen said, and took a step back. He felt awkward to have caught her like this when he barely knew her.

She blinked several times at him. It seemed to take her a while to recognize him. She seemed confused, like she had been in such deep thought, deep sadness, that being cast back into the outside world was a shock.

Then she forced a smile, closing her eyes and raising both hands to wipe her cheeks.

"Damen, am I right? I'm not good with names." she asked in a weak voice.

"Yeah. H-how are you?" he stammered.

She sighed."I don't know. I can't seem to stop crying."

"About Rex, right?" he said before feeling like a idiot for doing so.

What else would she have been crying about?

Moron!

"I m-mean that, I just-"

"I just keep expecting to see him, you know?"

Ryoko said, the words pouring out. 

"Like it didn't happen. I can't believe I was the last to see him alive. I mean, I've never known anyone who died. NEVER! And now I just can't believe it."

"I know," Damen said softly, turning his eyes to the dark water."He was my best friend. My only true friend who knew the real me..."

She didn't reply. Shaking her head sadly, she pushed herself to her feet and brushed away the sand that clung to her black jeans. 

Then she stepped closer to Damen, close enough that he could smell her perfume, fruity and sweet even in the heavy sea air.

"I knew him for such a short time," Ryoko said, allowing one small tear to fall down her cheek. 

"He was so nice..."

"He was a good guy," Damen said, staring into her hypnotic eyes, feeling guilty about being attracted to her.

The ocean wind seemed to circle them, to draw them together.

Damen felt dizzy. Was it her perfume? Was it the way the wind was swirling?

"I don't get why Rex tried to swim at night," Damen said, unable to release his eyes from her stare.

"He teased me about going for a swim. You know, taking off our clothes and jumping in. I knew he was just joking, or so I thought."

"Strange," Damen said, shaking his head, trying to shake away the dizziness. 

"Rex never joked when it came to water. And he never did scary things. He was pretty timid, you know?"

"I know." she said, turning her gaze beyond Damen, her eyes looking over the nearly deserted beach.

"That's why I thought he was joking about it. When he dropped me off at home, I was sure he was going back to his house."

"Hmmm..." Damen tried to clear his head again.

"The next morning, when I heard-" Ryoko started. But her voice caught, and she let out a small pained cry.

Damen placed an arm around her shoulders to calm her down.

Her perfume was so strong, so sweet, it seemed to penetrate to his brain.

"Did you cry too?" she asked as they started to walk together across the sand.

"I went a little nuts, I think, when I found him. Some surfers found me with him, I don't rememder them at all."

"You're the first person I've talked to since that day," she said softly.

She rested her head on his shoulder, but only for a brief moment. He felt her soft hair brush his cheek and felt a shiver of excitement run down his body.

A wave of guilt swept over him. Here we are, talking about Rex being dead, and all I can think about is how sexy she is and how much I want to kiss her! How cruel and twisted is that?

She smiled at him, the sadness fading from her pale face.

To Damen's surprise, her smile was a knowing smile, as if she knew what he was thinking, as if she shared his thoughts.

"Should I... umm... walk you home now?" he asked, his arm sliding down around her slender waist.

Again, her hair brushed his face as she turned to gaze into his eyes. 

"I want to keep walking and walking," she whispered softly.

"Being with you makes me feel better. I want to stay with you."

"I'm glad," he replied.

Suddenly she pulled away from him and started jogging toward the cliff, taking long, steady strides.

Startled, he immediatly missed her touch, missed her warmth. 

"Hang on, wait up!" he called after her.

Without slowing, she turned back to him, a mysterious smile on her face.

"Ryoko- wait for me!" he repeated, and began running over the beach, following her as the sand gave way to smooth rock, following her up, up toward the cliff ledge, the water crashing noisily below, crashing like his heartbeat, louder, faster, harder.

"Stop- come on!" he called, running at full speed now, staring at her hair that flowed behind her like black ocean waves.

Her laughter floated back to him on the swirling wind.

They were both high above the beach now, running across the smooth, flat cliff ledge.

"Slow down, Ryoko!" he warned, breathing hard.

He saw her expression change as she neared the cliff edge, saw her mouth open wide with fear and surprise.

She tried to stop.

But her sneakers slid on the slippery slick stone surface.

She raised her hands as if to grab on to something. But there was nothing to grab on to.

"No!" Damen cried out.

But his words didn't stop her.

She slid right off the edge of the cliff.

He heard her terrified scream as she went over the side.

Saw her arms flail the air as she began to drop.

Then silence.

Then he was alone up there.

All alone.

Without realizing it, Damen was at the cliff edge too, on his hands and knees, peering down into the swirling blackness, not even breathing, holding his breath, staring into the rolling, twisting waters.

She's dead too, he realized.

Frozen by his fears, by the thought of what he knew he would find, Damen stared down into the waters, crashing onto the rock wall.

And saw Ryoko smiling up at him, standing near the shore, waist deep in the water.

"Huh? R-Ryoko?" he managed to utter, suprised that he had any voice at all.

She waved up at him, tossing her head back.

Then she motioned for him to come down, to join her.

But he couln't stop staring at her.

How had she survived that fall? he wondered, feeling his heartbeat return to normal, feeling the heavy dread from his body lift.

How did she not crash into the rocks?

How?

He was on his feet now, waving at her.

Carefully, he made his way across the flat stone ledge. The rocky pathway down was steep and slippery, but he ran, stumbling, kicking stones, sending them down in small avalanches.

Standing on the pebbly shore now, she smiled at him, hair shining in the moonlight, arms at her sides as if patiently waiting for him.

"Man, you scared me!" he cried, sneakers splashing in puddled holes in the rock filled sand."How the hell did you make it?"

She didn't reply.

She threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled his face to hers.

The perfume. It seemed to float around him, to hold him, to draw him near.

She felt warm and cold at the same time...

Before Damen could take a breath, before he could push her away, she was kissing his mouth, then his eyes, next his chin.

He tried to push her away, but that perfume was making him dizzy again.

She kissed. And she kissed some more.

He struggled to respond.

But he found himself sinking.

Sinking into dizzying, spinning darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

_CHAPTER 19_

Xypher rose slowly from his coffin, into the blue evening. The dirt that made his mattress, all that was left of his homeland, of his own true time, clung to his clothing, and he brushed it off wearily.

Having just awakened, he started the evening task of bringing the spark of life back into his eyes, making his skin turn from ashen to the pale peach color of a living being. 

Yes, all vampires turn to corpses while they sleep. And the longer one has been dead, the longer it takes to appear human again. 

Xypher had once met a vampire who turned to bones each sleep, now that was a true Old One.

He groaned as the blue tint left his lips and he smoothed back his dark hair, hard to do without a mirror.

Yet, it was much easier to live the cruel, evil, life of a vampire if one didn't have to look at himself in a mirror, to see the monster that he had become without meaning to...

"And what a monster you became, Xypher, despite your hatred for them," he said aloud, speaking to the shadows of the house.

A quiet laugh made him spin around. A soft cry of surprise escaped his lips.

"Ryoko!"

Her blue dress matched the shade the sky was. Standing just inside the window, her wavy hair caught the pale light of the low moon.

"So old that you talk to shadows? Poor thing, no friends of your own kind, hmmm?" she said in mock pitty.

"Why are YOU here?" he snapped.

"Oh, I was just walking near here and thought to pop in," she joked.

"What do you want with me now, little girl," he asked impatiently, his expression revealing how annoyed he was.

She approached him slowly, a teasing smile on her face. 

"Why so unfriendly tonight? No luck with the human girl, hmmm?"

"I'm having more luck then you have been," he replied coldly.

Thoughts of Misty, of her honest kindness and tender heart, of her sweet blood, warmed him.

"You cannot win this game. The girl does not fight my power, and I don't have to use much on her," he said with a sly smile.

"Oh?" Ryoko crossed her arms."Sneak up behind her back again, did you?"

"No need to do so," Xypher replied. 

"She is falling for me. She and that other boy are no more. I have her affections."

"What?!" For only a second Ryoko's face showed both surprise and fear.

"She is mine now. My girlfriend, and soon, my vampire lover." The smile on his face now was triumphant and happy.

"You have truly fallen for that little blonde girl? You old pervert! Ha!" Ryoko laughed hard.

"Tease me all you like, I will still beat you," he said calmly.

"Yeah? Well, by splitting her from her old guy, you have made it easy for me to take him!" Ryoko said with a cocky grin.

He shook his head, smile still wide on his face, he smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. 

"Dream on, little girl," he teased.

"Just you wait! You'll see, I will win!" she said wth a shrill cry.

He walked past her, laughing, toward the window. And as she was about to yell at him, he started to transform.

"I must go take my future mate out for the evening. Untill later, little girl," he said before he emerged as a crow.

He flew up and out the window, still laughing at her, untill he disappeared into the darkening sky.

"I am NOT a little girl!" she screamed out after him.

With one good burst of anger, she kicked his coffin halfway across the room.

Aaron jumped on Xypher's shoulders. Alex grabbed him around the waist. Laughing loudly, they pulled him to the deck and climbed on him like a jungle gym.

"Help! Please help!" he cried, laughing and squirming, trying to unseat them, causing them to hold on even tighter.

"Boys- give the poor guy a break!" cried, trying to not giggle at him.

"It's fine, I can handle them," Xypher boasted.

"Owww!"

His words caused the two boys to bounce on his back even harder.

To be honest, it only hurt a little, and Xypher was truly having fun. They reminded him of his old life with his two young brothers...

"Come on, boys," Mr. Summers pleaded, looking up from his phone."Xypher isn't a carnival ride, you know."

"He has to pass our wrestling test," Aaron said with a grin.

"We have to know if he can kick butt to protect sister!" Alex said with a serious look.

"When, ouch, do I pass?" Xypher asked through his pretend pain.

"When we think you've had enough!" both twins said together.

Just then, Misty appeared from the house. 

She was wearing tight jean shorts and a dark green T-shirt that the words Live In Love on the front in red.

"You look nice, sweety," her mother said, having to shout over the twins' laughter.

"Are they giving him the wrestling test?" Misty asked with a smile.

"Yes, and he's doing better than Damen did," her father said with a chuckle.

"Helllllp!" Xypher whined while giving her a cute, pleading, look.

She tilted her head and smiled at him.

"Please?!" he moaned.

Misty came to his rescue, grabbing an arm of each brother and pulling them gently off. 

"The test is over now, how did he do?"

"Well, okay..." Aaron said. "But later we'll have to do a follow up test."

"I think he did good, he passes," Alex said with a simple nod.

"Thanks, I think," Xypher said as he got to his feet."What would happen if I didn't pass?"

"We would be your worst enemies." The twins said with evil laughter, then they ran into the house.

"They never liked Damen," Misty whispered to him."They set his shoes on fire once."

"And he didn't pass the test?"

"Exactly."

"Lucky me then," he whispered back.

Then he said good night to her parents and he and Misty stepped off the deck and began to follow the sandy path that led to town.

"I think my brothers like you," Misty said.

"Good thing for me, right?" Xypher said with a chuckle.

"My parents like you too," she added with a shy smile.

"And I like them," he smiled back.

"Can I show you what my dad got me for my birthday?" Misty asked, suddenly stopping.

"Sure, what is it?"

She reached under her shirt. He watched her hand as it pulled out a chain. 

"See? Isn't it pretty?"

It was a silver cross with light green stones on each end. It seemed to glow in the moonlight, just looking at it hurt his eyes.

"It is very elegant," he said, trying to hide the tinge of worry he felt.

What to do? What to do?

If he were to touch it, or try to drink from her, his body would boil from the inside out.

Just then, it slipped from her hands.

"Drats, stupid me..."

He bent down and, being careful not to look at it, he took the ends of the silve chain and lifted it up.

"May I, my dear?" he asked as she blushed at him.

"O-okay," she said as she turned around for him and lifted her hair.

He acted as if he had difficulty, then pretended to close the clasp.

"There you go, nice and tight," he told her.

She turned and gave him a wide smile. 

"Thank you. You're such a gentlmen, Xypher."

Those words had him feeling guilty for making it so that she would lose the present from her father, but what could he do?

He forced a smile and took hold of her hand before leading her off again.

They made their way toward town, walking past rows of beach houses, all of the windows glowed warmly in the night.

As they came to a field of tall grass, Xypher saw the cross slip off and fall to the ground.

Misty didn't notice.

They kept walking.

Xypher breathed easy.

She looked up at him as he let out a sigh, so he happily put his arm around her and pulled her close.

Now nothing was between them.

Later that same night Damen arrived home from his date with Ryoko. He stopped at the back door, his head spinning, eyes burning.

I'm so tired, he thought.

So tired, it seemed an impossible effort to pull open the door and get into bed.

It can't be that late, Damen thought, opening his eyes and pushing himself to go inside.

He coughed.

His throat ached.

Why was he like this?

Where did we go tonight? What did we do?

He remembered the beach, a very dark beach. And her kissing him.

And the sweet pain.

Pain?

No.

Why would there be pain?

I'm just so... tired.

Just like Rex had been.

Just like Misty had looked...

Must be some summer cold.

He made his way to his room slowly.

He had to get to bed.

He undressed and tried hard to think.

What had we done?

Why can't I remember? Why am I so tired?

He turned to go to his bed.

And he froze.

Someone was on his bed.

And this someone was sitting with his back turned to Damen.

Damen stared at the unmoving form.

How had this person get in? And at this hour of night?

Sommoning his courage, trying to clear his head, he reached out to touch the person on the shoulder.

This is all in my head, he thought.

As Damen touched him, the dark figure slowly turned.

His face came ito view.

And Damen screamed.


	20. Chapter 20

_CHAPTER 20_

Pressing both hands over his mouth to quiet his screams, Damen stumbled back away from the bed.

A stab of pain went down his back as he bumped into his dresser.

Ignoring it, he gaped in horror at a stone faced figure on his bed, staring back at him.

Damen lowered his hands slowly, taking in big gulps of air.

"Rex- but how?" his voice came out a low whisper. "You're dead!"

Yeah, sure, as if the guy didn't know that, he thought to himself with dry humor.

"Yessss. I am dead..."

The voice came from all over his room, like there were speakers everywhere. It sounded raspy and dry, and sad at the same time.

This is just another dream, Damen thought to himself. This is just like the dream you had the other night, the one where Rex comes back from the grave to eat you, all rotting and falling apart. Soon you'll wake up screaming in bed, you'll see.

The person on the bed leaned forward slowly, and his face came out of the shadows and into the pale moonlight from the window.

Damen let out a small yelp, he was pressing into the dresser, but he couldn't move away.

But once he saw how his friend looked, he couldn't help but gape at him.

To Damen's surprise, Rex looked as he had the last time he had seen his friend alive. There was not a single cut or scratch on him, his skin wasn't the pale blue it had been, his eyes looked alive, there was no peeling flesh or sunken eyes like Damen had been expecting to see. And to top it all off, he was wearing the red dragon T-shirt that Misty had gotten for him last christmas...

"Okay, now I know this is a dream," Damen breathed out happily as he started to relax.

"This is no dream, my friend," Rex said in a voice that sounded fare away, but no longer raspy.

"Yes it is," Damen said with a gulp.

"No. It is not," Rex repeated in a stern tone, now sounding raspy again.

A wind blew into his room, making the cutains on his window billow up.

"B-but, you're dead! If this isn't a dream, why do you look like that," Damen pointed at his friend's clothes.

Rex smiled at him. "I know how easy you are to scare, and how much you hate spooky things, so I wanted to be nice. Well, except the whole voice change thing, just had to try that one out. However, if you would rather I look like what you had in your head..."

"NO!" Damen shook his head and waved his hands in protest. "This is fine! Just fine."

Rex laughed. "I thought you would say that."

This IS happening, he thought. My best friend is sitting on my bed, making jokes and laughing, like nothing happened.

"Are you going to stand over there the entire time?" Rex asked with a teasing grin.

Damen blinked twice, then decided to trust his friend, and moved to sit next to him on the bed.

"So, are you-I mean..."

"A ghost? Yeah, that I am," Rex finished for him with a sad smile.

"Why? Not that I'm not glad you're here, just that, why now?"

Rex's face took on a very cold look. "I am here to warn you, Damen."

"Warn me? About what?"

Rex placed his hand on Damen's knee, he felt so cold. "Vampires, they're vampires, Damen."

Damen stared. "So, the other night, you tried to tell me? The night I first thought of it, that was you too?"

Rex squeezed his knee gently and smiled at him. " was your instinct telling you. When you found me, when you saw all those marks on me, your first thought was vampires. You just didn't want to believe it."

"Oh," he looked away at the thought. "Were you watching me then? Were you there, when I found you?"

"Yes, I was. And I knew you were a true friend because of how you acted, thank you. That's why I asked to come down long enough to warn you. Both you and Misty are in trouble, you needed a little help."

"So why not go talk to her? She's into this sort of thing," Damen said with a short laugh.

Rex laughed along with him."Because she's in worse shape then you are, she wouldn't remember what I would have said to her."

"What am I gonna do, man?" Damen pleaded.

"I can't stay long enough to do anything other then tell you you're not crazy about the vampires..."

"Well, that sucks. Can't you do some ghost voodoo on them or something?"

"I'm not sure that would do any good," Rex chuckled.

"Some ghost you are, can't even kill a vampire!" Daman teased.

"Give me a break! The big guy up there gave me orders to only warn you, he said you had to do this yourself!" Rex said with a laugh.

"What, does he not like me?" Damen said in mock hurt.

"He said you have something to learn from this, if you make it out alive."

"Gosh, thanks for using vampires to teach me some lessons. Can't I just look at a book?"

"Wrong type of lesson. And you're lucky he has humor at all."

Damen looked at his friend, finally believing this to be real.

"So, what sort of thing am I to learn from vampires?" he asked.

"Well, it's not something I can tell you..."

"Am I being told to become a vampire slayer for the rest of my life?" Damen joked.

Rex laughed. "No, that's not what it is, promise. You'll get it sooner or later."

"I still can't believe you're here right now. I'm gonna miss you, man."

"Same here, but I'll be keeping an eye on you," Rex said with wink.

"You going back?"

"I have to go, man. There are a few things to do before I can settle down."

"What's it like up there?"

Rex wriggled an eyebrow at him. "Can't tell you that, it'll ruin the surprise!"

"You jerk!" Damen said before laughing like crazy, Rex joining him.

After they laughed and pushed each other around for a while, Rex got up and moved to the window.

"I'll tell Misty you said goodbye, after I save her of course," Damen said as he stood next to his buddy.

Rex gave him one last grin."Not goodbye, only untill next time."

"Untill next time," Damen agreed as he watched his friend fade away.

"Go out there and do some vampire slaying!"

Rex said cheerfully before he was truly gone for good.

"Yeah, like that will be easy," he said to himself as he made his way to his bed and fell onto his back.

I need some serious sleep if he expects me to survive this. 

If this isn't some crazy ass figment of my insane imagination.


	21. Chapter 21

_CHAPTER 21_

Damen awoke the that day to his father shaking him.

"Time to get up, sleepy head!" he said with a wide grin. "Time to start the new day."

Damen blinked into the golden sunshine coming in through his window. 

"What time is it? Why's it so dang bright?"

"Your mom told me to let you sleep in, but I can't hang on much longer!" said with a pout.

"Hang on for what?" Damen asked as he sat up and placed his feet on the floor, still unable to open both eyes.

"We were going surfing together, remember?" his father winked at him as he started out the door.

"I can't," Damen moaned as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Aaaww," his father whined as he turned back around. "Why not? You sick?"

"Maybe," Damen said as he layed back down."I'm just so tired today..."

took on a more serious face. 

"You have been looking pale the past two days, maybe you need a day down?"

"I was thinking that. Sorry, about not going with you today."

"You may be on the verge of a summer cold, so stay down," his father said sternly.

"Will do," Damen gave a smile, then covered himself up again.

"And don't worry about me going alone, I'll convince your mom to come," his father gave a wink before going out the door.

"Get some rest! We'll be back later!" he called as he walked away.

Damen lay there for a half hour after his parents left, making sure they would not come right back.

Alone in the house, he forced himself up.

He sat there on his bed, thinking of what had happened that night, believing it had not been a simple dream.

Rex had come back to warn him, to tell him he was right about the vampires, that he had to save Misty and himself.

Knowing that Rex was happy made it easier to know he wouldn't see his friend again for a long, long time.

No time to lose, he told himself.

I've got to warn Misty. I've got to.

I'll show her the marks on both our necks. She has to believe me.

And if all else fails, I'll force her to believe me!

He took a warm shower and brushed his teeth, pulled on some black shorts, and made his way to the phone in the kitchen.

He pushed Misty's number and listened to the ringing, taping his foot the whole time.

One ring. Two rings.

After ten rings he hung up the phone with a loud groan.

Come on Misty! Where are you?

He tried once more, but had the same results as the first time.

No one was home.

He stood there for a long time, fingers gripping the counter, the ring of the phone in his ear, waiting, waiting to hear her voice.

But no one ever answered.

Damen tried to calm down as he had a quick breakfast, and decided to go look for Misty.

As soon as he finished, he ran to town and searched for her. It was the hottest day of the summer yet, nearly one hundred.

The run to town tired Damen out fast, but he still searched Main Street and every other street the town had. He looked inside the Cone Shack and did a double look in the arcade, the movie theater wasn't any better, by the time he left a little gift shop on the corner his feet were dragging under him, and, not finding her, he headed to the beach.

She wasn't there, either.

He spent the rest of the day resting on the couch in the living room, getting up once every half hour to call Misty's house, hearing the phone ring and ring. No one ever picked it up.

After getting his strength back in the evening, he eagerly headed back to town to start his search again.

"Howdy there Damen!" a friendly voice called as Damen walked along the sandy path to town.

He turned to see Josh running to catch up.

"How are you?" Josh asked with a worried look.

"Better," Damen replied without slowing down.

How would you feel if you're best friend came to say goodbye as a ghost, oh, and to say he WAS killed by vampires?

At least he's trying to be nice, he told himself.

Don't be so grouchy to him this time.

"I was looking for you most of the day," Josh said as he walked next to Damen."I thought I saw you once, then you left."

"I tried to go out today, but it was so dang HOT today, and I wasn't feeling all that well," Damen said. He didn't want to drag Josh into trouble he was in, so he decided not to tell all the details.

Wanting to find Misty and tell her what danger she was in, he wanted to lose Josh as soon as he could.

"You know, you do look a bit strange," Josh said, staring at Damen's face.

"What? Strange how?" Damen asked, worried.

"You're a lot more pale then you were the last time I saw you..." Josh replied. 

A worried look came into his eyes as his face took on a concerned expression. 

"Hey, you know that vampire thing you were talking about? Well, I've been thinking-"

"That was nothing! Just a dream I had, you know? I was just a bit loopy after Rex's death," Damen said with false laughter.

"But what about all those rumors about people vanishing over the years here? I've done a little research about when it started and-"

"Like I said," Damen cut in with another laugh.

"It was just a dream I had. So don't waist you're time, dude."

Josh gave him an odd look, like he wasn't buying Damen's act. 

"So then, what are those marks on your neck? You tell me that."

Damen's eyes went wide as he instinctively moved his hand to the marks. 

"Bug bites, duh! What did you think?"

"I think that you KNOW what I think," Josh said with a serious stare.

With a gulp, and a glare, Damen said in a serious tone, "Like I said, DON'T waist your time on vampires. No reason to do it, got me?"

"But if you need help-"

"Stop talking about them! There are no vampires. No. Vampires." Damen made sure to say the last words with deadly calmness.

Josh turned a little white as his eyes grew wide.

"Got it, no vampires. I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Good. And honestly, there is nothing to worry about," Damen said before he stoped. 

"Misty! Josh, I gotta go, see you later."

She was up the road, her head down, as if she were looking for something.

"Hey!" Damen called as he started to walk faster.

"I'm serious, man, you need any help with blood suckers, call me," Josh whispered to Damen before he took off past him.

Just keep to yourself, that's all I want, Damen thought as he steped behind Misty.

As he moved closer, he noticed she was more pale then ever, and her eyes were losing their sparkle.

She lifted her head and glared at him. 

"Oh, hey there Damen. What do YOU want?"

He didn't care she was mad at him still. He had to talk to her no matter what.

"Listen, we have to talk. You have to pay close attention to what I'm about to tell you, okay? You have to listen and not blow me off. Misty, it's important that-"

She cut him off with a groan. "Just spill it will you? I'm meeting Xypher in a few minutes, so I don't have much time."

"He's what I have to talk to you about!" he cried out."Look at your thoat. And look at mine! Look at how pale you are!"

"Don't you dare start that vampire crap again!"

Misty cried as her arms flew up in the air.

"And to think how much you hate anything the littlest bit scary! How can you toy with me like this? Xypher cares about me, like you did..."

"Then explain why you've been so weak since you met him! Why do you never meet with him in the day? And I'll bet you money that sometimes you can't even remember what you two did the night before, or when you got home! I bet he kisses real good too, he likes the neck area, right?!" Damen exploded.

Misty blinked at him, stunned. "How did you...? Oh, for goodness sake! If he was a vampire, why did he like the cross my dad gave me? He didn't cringe away or anything when I showed it to him, he even helped me clasp it back on when it fell off."

"Oh, really? So what are you looking for out here, hmmm?" Damen asked in anger.

"It simply fell off again, it does that, I need to have it fixed," Misty said with a sigh.

"Listen, I know for a fact that I sound crazy, okay? I had convinced myself that I WAS crazy, but..." Damen gently took hold of her hand, her now frail hand. 

"Rex came to me last night. He was a ghost, he said he was given permission to come down long enough to give us a warning-"

Misty pulled away with a gasp. 

"Rex? What did he say? Why didn't he come say goodbye to me?"

"Oh, so I say vampires and I'm crazy, but say Rex's ghost came down and you believe every word?" Damen said in mock hurt.

"Shut up, tell me what he said and I'll know if you're lying," Misty glared.

"He said he knew you wouldn't remember what he had to say if he came to you because of how tired you are right now, or you would think it was a dream. He said to tell you this isn't goodbye, only untill next time. And he wanted to warn me that vampires are-"

"Everything up untill the vampires I could believe to be true, so either you're a good lair, or you added the vampire bit."

"I am NOT lying! Why would I lie? And if I'm lying, answer some of the questions I asked you!" Damen yelled.

"Grow up Damen!" Misty said as she backed away from him, sad and angry. 

"You need help. You need real good help."

"What about Rex? You calling him a liar?"

"I don't even know if you saw Rex or not!" Misty shook her head and ran her hands through her hair.

"Damn it Misty! You need to-" Damen cried in surprise as Xypher came out of nowhere and stepped up beside Misty, his eyes were on Damen. And despite the heat of the night, he wore a black long sleeved T-shirt and blue denim jeans.

"Is there some sort of problem?" he asked Misty softly, his dark green gaze leveled on Damen.

Damen didn't look away as fear began to knot his stomach, an icy chill made it's way down his back.

"No trouble," Misty said in a uncertain voice.

Damen backed away, feeling defeated, he knew he had lost his shot. His ONLY shot to warn her.

"Are you sure, my dear?" Xypher said, his eyes burning into Damen without a single blink.

"We were just talking," she said with a calmer voice, she was almost melting at his words.

Xypher looked away from Damen and turned to smile at Misty."Talking about me, yes? My neck got the chills."

"To be honest, we were," Misty said with a giggle as she took his arm. 

They started walking away, chatting together.

Damen stood still, watching the love of his life go off with a vampire.

He still couldn't shake off that cold stare that

Xypher had given him, like ice, like death itself.

I will save you from that creature, just you wait, Damen told himself , watching them disappear around a bend in the path.

I have to do it. Rex thinks I can, and I would hate to prove him wrong.

And just then, he knew how he was to do it.


	22. Chapter 22

_CHAPTER 22_

"What are you doing with my camera?" calls from the living room.

Damen stopped at the door. 

"Hey there Dad. I feel much better now, so I'm going out," He held the camera case in front of him and stepped back into the room. 

"Can I use this?"

"Looks like you were going to anyway," said with a grin. 

"Go ahead, just don't lose it."

"I won't, I'm just taking some pictures of all the crows at the beach, maybe some sky shots too."

"Better not take pictures of all the girls!" his father teased.

"Maybe just one or two," Damen said, making his father laugh out loud.

He didn't like lying to his father. But he could never tell the truth- 'I'm spying on Misty and her new guy to prove he's a vampire that wants to eat her.'

No way, not even his surfer cool father would buy that one.

Honestly, who WOULD?

"It's nice to see someone use it," said as Damen started out the door.

Damen called out good night and made his way down the porch steps.

His plan was to use up all the film on Xypher and Misty at the carnival. When Xypher came up invisible in every shot, Misty would HAVE to believe him.

He just wished his father had gotten a new camera. Instead of just downloading the pictures onto a PC, you had to go get the film developed in this one. 

It was big and hard to hide, but it would have to do in this case.

Jogging his way to the carnival grounds, Damen remembered he was going to meet Ryoko at the beach tonight, that's what she had told him to do the night before when they parted.

If I don't show, will she realize that I know what she is? Will she come for me?

Just thinking of her had him starting to feel dizzy all over again.

But it was a chance he would have to take, he could deal with her later... somehow.

Now that he thought about it, even if he proves to Misty that there are vampires in this town, what was he going to do about it? Was he going to go all Buffy the Vampire Slayer on them? He never even watched the show...

This was bad. Misty was an expert on all things Vampire, she even knew what was false facts and rumors, and she didn't believe him about it.

Is a wooden stake in the heart the only way to go? Damen wasn't the slayer type.

"Man, am I doomed or what?" he said to himself with a sigh.

Damen made his way into the grounds and past the Ferris wheel, trying not to crash into people that rushed by from ride to ride. He was nearly knocked over by a group of little kids as they ran past him laughing and yelling.

All the while, he looked for Misty and Xypher.

When he somehow made his way back to the Ferris wheel, he spoted them in line.

Keeping to the side of a game booth, Damen moved a few feet closer, making sure to get good shots as he snapped again and again, making sure they were both in the frame.

Misty looked up.  
Damen ducked back behind the booth.

Had she seen him?

He slowly poked his head around the side.

Nope. She had turned back to Xypher.

As long as they didn't know he was there, he was safe. Who knew what Xypher would do to make sure Damen didn't get a shot of him.

He managed to get a few shots of them together in the metal car.

He followed them after their ride was over as they made their way along the row of game boothes. Trailing behind, keeping on the other side of the aisle, clicking shot after shot.

They tried the Bumper Cars and shared blue cotton candy as they watched other people try the games and cheered them on.

He tried to ignore how close they seemed, how Misty would look at Xypher, how he seemed to care for her. Soon that would change, he kept telling himself. I will prove it to her.

And after I save your life, I'll make sure that you never forget that I love you. I'll say it every day.

I'll tell you that I'm sorry for being an ass at times, and I'll change that.

He didn't blame her for feeling angry at him, or for thinking he no longer cared.

With the camera nearly empty, he wanted nothing more then to have the film developed as quickly as possible. Watching Misty snuggle up against Xypher, their fingers entwined, leaning against each other as the carousel spun next to them, Damen knew he was running out of time.

Which made the fact that he had to wait untill the next day for the store to be open nearly killed him as he slowly walked along behind them in lonely silence.

Just watching, it looked as if Xypher did feel something for Misty. Nobody was that good an actor. And seeing that only made Damen worry more. What if Xypher wanted Misty as a mate?

Vampires do that, right?

What was worse? Having a vampire eat his girl, or having a vampire take his girl for his mate?

With a deep sigh, he turned to start making his way home.

As he was leaving the carnival grounds, he heard Josh's voice call out to him, but he wasn't in the mood to try and tell the guy to leave him to his own problem, so he just kept walking on.


	23. Chapter 23

_CHAPTER 23_

Damen's alarm went off at seven the next morning.

The first thoughts to fill his head were of Misty. And the film in the camera.

He got up and pulled on some clothes, drank a glass of milk, and hurried out the door before his parents even started to wake.

As he jogged to town, he held the camera in his hands as tight as he could. His life, and

Misty's, depended on that camera.

A mist had rolled in off the ocean during the night.

It was slowly lifting as Damen arrived on Main Street, but the sky was still overcast, the air cool, and patches of mist still floated among the low buildings.

Like most of the shops in Crest Hollow, the film developing store didn't open untill nine. Damen wandered back and forth along the nearly deserted street, his hands still holding the camera protectively. 

He never stoped to look in stores. He just kept pacing impatiently, checking the time on his watch every ten minutes.

He watched as people started to emerge from houses to take morning walks, cars started to make their way to stores as people began to get ready to start their work day.

He kept waiting foe Xypher or Ryoko to show up, to take away his only true proof of what they are. But he knew it wasn't going to happen. Vampires only came out at night.

Hang on, didn't Misty say they could come out on cloudy days? Just as long as there is no direct sunlight?

Great, just great, he thought to himself.  
You just HAD to remember that little fact now, didn't you? Idiot...

He made his way back to the film developing store ten to nine, just as someone, a girl with long blonde hair with a blue streek and a tattoo of a snake around her arm, was unlocking the door. 

"Hi, good morning," she said in a chipper voice, opening the door to let him into the store with a smile. 

"You're up early, aren't you? Most guys your age sleep late in the summer."

"And how old are you?" Damen teased as he held the door open for her.

She laughed. "Twenty six, not that you need to know that. Now, what can I do you for?"

"I need some film developed as soon as possible, please."

"Well that's what I do. But I need to know how many you want," she said as she walked around to turn on the lights.

"I only need one print of the twenty pictures that I have in here," he said as he looked to see the store filled with pictures of every big city on earth with the sunset behind them.

"Where did you get all these?"

"I took them myself," she said proudly as she sat behind the counter.

"Cool..." Damen got lost just looking at them.

"Thank you. Now about those photo's you want, it will take me untill six tonight to have them ready. I have other orders to fill first."

Damen turned back to her and gave her the camera. "Thank you, please try to get them done as soon as you can...ummm?"

"Storm Heathersen," she said, and when he raised his eyebrow she laughed. "I had strange parents, I know. How about you?"

"Damen Carlock, nice to meet you, Storm," he said as they shook hands.

"May I ask why you want them so soon?" Storm said in a curious tone.

"My girlfriend is dating a vampire and I want to prove it," he said, trying to make it sound like a joke.

To his surprise, Storm tensed up at his words.

"Is that so?"

"Ummm, no..." Damen stared at her. 

"That was a joke, why did you think otherwise?"

"Well, it wasn't all that funny to me," she said as she calmed down a bit. 

"Sorry, but vampires are something I take serious..."

Now Damen was the one on edge. What did this lady know?

"Silly of me, I know," she continued. 

"Just something my Mom always told me not to make jokes about, that's all."

She's lying, Damen realized. But, why? What had happened to this lady? Did she know about the vampires here?

"Well, I'll be back close to six to check on them," Damen said as he made his way to the door. "See you then, Storm."

Somehow Damen managed to pass the time.

The sun never did come out. The afternoon sky was only a white glare.

He had went to the local library and managed to dig up old legends about vampires in the town since 1867. 

People would come up missing, or turn up dead every other week untill the mid 1880's, and even then it never fully came to a stop, it just slowed down a little to a two to three people per month rate. And in the more recent deaths and missing persons cases, they were all blamed on drownings or runaways...

Clearly Ryoko and Xypher were not the first vampires to call that little island home.

But it was also clear that most people here didn't believe in vampires anymore...

He was so dead.

He ended up going home and sleeping most of the afternoon away.

Ryoko tried to creep into his dreams a few times, but Damen simply pictured Misty in his mind and the vampire left.

The evening was only darker than the day had been. He pulled on a clean T-shirt, brushed his hair, and headed out of the house.

When he made his way to the store, he wasn't greeted by Storm's kind smile, or even a hello, instead he was greeted with wide eyes.

"Leave." She ordered.

"What?" Damen said as Storm pushed his prints into his hands, then backed away.

"You don't have to pay for them, just leave. Take you're family and leave before they find out you know," she said in a flat tone.

"Who knows what?" he said, trying to sound innocent.

"Your girl is lost, Damen, so save yourself. There is no way to save her, there never is."

"Now hang on, how do YOU know?" Damen asked.

"My brother fell victim to a vampire called Ryoko last year, she still lives here. The only reason I'm alive is because she thinks I don't know her for what she is, that I know she killed him. Hell, when I pass her on the street, I act as if we're friends! That's how I'm alive today, by being one hell of an actress," Storm said with all the anger, fear, and shame one person could feel.

"There has to be a way to get them, kill them," Damen said in a pleading voice.

Storm shook her head. "No. Who knows how many live here? Some are better at hiding then others. If we kill one or two, what will the rest do? The only reason I'm still here is because I have two little sisters and a Mom to help support. So my best advice to you is to leave before they find out, anybody who finds out doesn't last long..."

"Thanks for the tip, but I have a friend that I can't let down," Damen said as he started out the door.

"And please, don't come back here," Storm begged. "If they see you here with me..."

"Goodbye for good then," Damen nodded. 

"And Ryoko won't live long enough to get another guy, I promise."

Storm shook her head as he closed the door, tears in her eyes. 

"Just leave," she whispered.

Damen managed to wait untill he was at the Cone Shack before he opened the envelope.

He knew what he would find, but he still wanted to see for himself, his stomach was in knots as he flipped through the shots.

There was Misty in photo after photo, smiling lovingly at nobody, holding hands with nobody, kissing nobody.

Inside a Ferris Wheel next to, and laughing with an invisible VAMPIRE.

Damen just stood there for a few minutes, just staring at the solid proof of what he had been saying.

Storm's words played through his head...

Damen would leave, after he made Misty see what her new boyfriend was. Then they would leave together.

It was only a little past six, but it was dark enough that he knew Xypher would be coming out, if he wasn't already.

Misty, sweety, I'm coming, Damen thought as he made his way to a pay phone. Please be there. Please be there.

There was no answer.

"CRAP!" Damen let out a whole string of curses as he started running through town, looking for her.

He looked everywhere twice, but she was nowhere.

Not in the Cone Shack, the arcade, not in a single store or pizza place in the whole town.

His eyes searched each person, each couple, each group of people that he passed.

Misty, damn girl, where ARE you?

He searched the town over and over again for an hour and a half before he looked at his watch. It was seven-thirty.

Growling to himself, he decided to try the beach.

As he ran his way to the beach, his feet felt like rocks, his legs planks of wood that felt odd as he ran.

But he had to find her. He just had to find her before it was to late.

The beach was dotted with people, enjoying the last few moments of evening light. As Damen made his way across the dunes toward the water, the sun dropped away, the air grew colder, the sky darkened.

There were six blonde girls on the beach, but not one of them moved like Misty did, and when he checked to be sure, they stared at his gasping face like he was crazy. He asked them if they had seen Misty anywhere, and they were kind enough to say no before walking off, whispering about his odd behavior.

Damen had just barely made it to the rowboat dock before he ran out of breath and had to stop for a moment.

He was breathing so loudly, thinking so hard, he didn't hear the voice untill it called the fourth time.

"Damen! Hey- Damen!"

"Ryoko! Oh, crap..."

He turned to see her running up behind him, her hair floating in the wind, her lips in a flirty smile.

"Have you been looking for me, silly? I've been watching you run around."

She spoke so sweetly, so softly, her voice so tender.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you. You said to meet me last night..."

Her eyes found his. They seemed to draw him in as he remembered how she kissed him before.

"I missed you, Damen. Did you miss me last night?"

She moved close enough to touch him. Her eyes holding him in her spell, he could feel it.

Just one kiss wouldn't hurt.

Only one...

And then over her shoulder he saw something.

He used all his inner strength to make his eyes brake the spell.

Someone was helping another someone into a rowboat at the dock as it bobbed up and down on the waves.

Misty!

Xypher was helping Misty into the narrow boat.

NO!

Ryoko put her arms around Damen's shoulders.

Her perfume filled his head as he felt dizzy.

Misty was sitting in the rowboat now. Xypher was taking the oars.

Shit!

Ryoko pulled Damen to her. The world began to spin as he watched Xypher start to row away from the dock.

"You were looking for ME, weren't you?" she said, starting to kiss his chin.

Just one kiss.

The rowboat was heading toward the island offshore.

Misty. Misty was rowing away.

Rowing away to her death.

"No!" Damen yelled aloud, pushing Ryoko away, pushing her hard enough that she fell to the ground, gasping in shock.

Damen made his escape, running as fast as he could toward the two remaining rowboats.

"Damen! Darling, what are you doing?!" Ryoko called, tring to sound hurt.

But he could hear the anger behind the act. The further away from her he got, the more his head cleared.

The pictures fell out his back pocket as he ran. He decided not to stop for them.

No time now anyway.

Xypher was rowing Misty away to his home, to her death.

No time. No time.

When he reached the end of the dock, he screamed out as loud as he could over the wind.

"Misty! Misty! Hey!" he called.

She didn't turn around, didn't even move.

The wind was louder then his calls.

Soon the rowboat had moved into the blackness of the night.

"Rex, looks like you were wrong about me, I'm no hero," he whispered to himself. 

"I'm too late to save her..."


	24. Chapter 24

_CHAPTER 24_

Damen was in the next rowboat in seconds, he cursed as he tried to untie the knot.

Every second counts, he thought when he managed to undo it and push off as hard as he could.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

He could hear Ryoko calling out to him as she came closer and closer, begging him to look at her.

But he knew if he did, he would be lost forever.

Both him and Misty.

The current was strong. Each time he rowed, leaning forward and pulling back as hard as he could, the boat seemed to jerk forward a foot, and slide back three.

But he knew he couldn't give up.

If there was a small chance he could save her...

He could just barely make out Ryoko's screams over the sound of the wind and rush of the waves.

The salty spray of the ocean kept coming up and getting into his eyes and mouth, so he had to close his eyes at times and wipe the water off his face with his soaked arm.

His hands almost slipped many times, he nearly dropped an oar twice.

His arms were aching and he could hear the little voice in his head tell him he was too late, but he kept going.

Damen stared toward the black island ahead of him, looking for Misty's boat.

Turning his eyes to the sky, his jaw went slack at the hundreds of bats and crows that flew over and above the island. The closer he got to them, the more the sound of their wings drowned out the rush of the ocean.

They flew over trees, swooping and fluttering, filling the sky.

He pulled his boat the the only dock, seeing that Misty's rowboat was empty, he leapt out without bothering to tie it up.

Damen started to run down the only dirt path that he could see, holding the oar as his only weapon.

Some weapon, he thought. I bet even Buffy could do better. What are you going to do?

Whack him to death?

Chills ran down his spine as he made his way through the woods, trying to avoid the winged creatures above his head.

Just how many of these are vampires? How many people in town call this island home during the day? Out of all these things, which ones are watching me to see who I'm after?

Will they let me deal with the two I came for?

The shingled beach house at the end of the path was totally dark. As Damen drew closer, he saw that it had no glass in any of the windows at all.

He made his way next to a window and peered inside with a gulp. It was pitch black inside, all except for a small light under what appeared to be a door frame at the other side of the room.

Having no choice, he placed the oar inside first, then lifted a leg over the windowsill, and lowered himself into the house.

It smelled old and musty in there, even with the windows with no glass.

Waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he stood still, listening to all the fluttering sounds from outside. But he heard something else too, the sound of classical music was just barely heard from somewhwere inside the house.

The room slowly came into focus.  
And it was a door at the other side that held the light under it.

Damen made his way over to it and slowly opened it. Looking inside, he gasped at what he saw.

"Misty!"

There she was, in a room filled with candles that cast shadows on the walls as she danced to music coming from a small radio.

She froze, mid step, hands frozen in the air, and turned to look at him in shock.

"Damen? What in the world are you doing here?" she said in an surprised tone.

"ME? What am I doing here? What are YOU doing here?" Damen cried. "Don't you know where you are?"

She rolled her eyes. "Duh, I'm here with Xypher of course!"

Damen shook his head and snatched her arm tightly. "We need to get you out of here, now."

Misty pulled back, but he still held on. 

"Damen, I need to tell you something, after you let go of me first."

"We need to go NOW!" he ordered as he pulled her to him with a jerk.

"OUCH! Damen, that hurts!" she cried out as she winced.

Just then, the door crashed open as Xypher stepped into the room with a growl.

"Let her go!" he said in a booming voice, eyes turning red as he came over to Damen.

"NO!" Damen yelled. "You won't have her, do you hear me?!"

Eyes glowing red, fangs down, growling in anger, Xypher lunged forward to attack.

"STOP IT!" Misty yelled as Damen pushed her away and started to swing the oar at Xypher.

"Are you crazy?!" Damen countered as Xypher kept trying to get the oar away from him. 

"He's a vampire! Don't you see?"

"I know he's a vampire, moron!" Misty said heatedly as she rubbed her arm. 

"We have something to talk about with you, Damen, so calm down."

"Just put the oar down, please," Xypher said, his voice calm as he glared at Damen.

"Hell, he's got you under his spell!" Damen said as he took another swing at the vampire.

They circled each other twice, each one glaring at the other.

"You need to start listening to your girl," Xypher said. "We have something we need you to help us do."

"Like hell! You aren't going to drink me, turn me, whatever! Or Misty!" Damen said as he took another swing at him.

"As if I would drink from YOU," Xypher teased as he dodged. "I am not THAT hungry."

"Xypher, please," Misty begged. "That's not helping things!"

"Sorry, love," he said with a shrug. "He walked right into that one."

"Shut up!" Damen yelled as he moved the oar out of Xypher's reach and tried to kick him.

Xypher laughed, then he crouched down and prepared to jump.

He didn't have time to think.  
Didn't have time to plan.

When Xypher tried to jump behind him, Damen reflexively turned, pulled his arm back, and thrust the oar handle forward.

Xypher ran right into it.

With a sickening, wet crack, the oar handle punctured his stomach.

Xypher's eyes bulged, the red glow left, leaving a dark green that held a lonely light.

He opened his mouth to cry out, but blood came out in a burst.

Xypher's eyes closed. His head fell to his chest as he fell to the floor on his side.

And as Damen stared in horror, Xypher's body began to crumble, the skin drying and peeling, flaking to powder. Then his skull crumbled, the rest of his body started to do the same.

Soon, nothing but a pile of clothes and ash were on the floor.

Damen gaped at what he had done. 

He had killed a vampire! He did it!

"Nooooo!"

Damen turned to see Misty run over to what was left of Xypher. She got down on her knees and started to cry.

"What?" Damen blinked at her.

"How could you? How COULD you, Damen?!" she cried as she touched Xypher's clothes with a shaking hand.

"But he was a vampire!"

Misty glared up at him. 

"I know! He told me last night! I asked him, just to see how he would react, to see if you were right. I'm not a complete fool, okay? I knew something wasn't right about him. He told me he was falling in love with me, that I made him feel human, and that he couldn't bare to make me something that he hates being. He said he just wanted to spend the summer with me, then he would go and you and I could try again. He was going to make Ryoko think that he turned me tonight so he could get the jump on her and get rid of her, she's the evil one! Not Xypher! Not Xypher! He was just so lonely..."

Damen sat down in shock. "Misty... I'm sorry..."

"We were going to tell you everything! We were using you to draw her here tonight so he could say he won, we were going to make it look like he killed you too. If only you would have listened to me when I said to stop!" Misty then burst into tears.

Damen just sat there, feeling like crap, feeling like a fool.

"Well, well, well... That was a good show," a girl's voice- not Misty's- said from the door.

They both jerked their heads up to see Ryoko leaning against the door, a smile on her face, arms crossed.

"So, the old man went soft after all, hmmm? Wanted to kill me cause he couldn't win the game? Talk about a sore loser!"

Ryoko began to laugh, a deep, cruel sound that filled the room.

"Just let us go!" Misty begged.

Damen only stared at the vampire as she slowly made her way over to him.

Without replying, Ryoko hissed, grabbed Damen's face in both of her cold hands, and buried her fangs in his throat.

I'm going to die, he thought, feeling himself begin to sink into darkness.

I should have known Misty couldn't be fooled, she knows more about this stuff then I ever could, I should have trusted her...

And I was right, I was watching Xypher fall for her the other night.

Stupid me.

Sorry Rex, Misty, looks like I'm dead.

This sucks.


	25. Chapter 25

_CHAPTER 25_

Feeling the pain course down his neck and through his entire body, Damen closed his eyes, sinking, sinking.

I'm dying now, he thought helplessly.

Ryoko won the game, he could almost laugh at that. We were just a game to her.

Then, to his surprise, the pain left.

Startled, he opened his eyes, tryng to focus on the blur of motion in front of him.

A struggle across the room. Cries and screams. Wrestling, fighting bodies.

Finally it all came into focus.

"Misty!" he cried, trying to stand up, to regain his balance.

Both Misty and Ryoko were wrestling by the window, pulling hair, scratching at each other, grabbing and hitting in desperation.

She must have pulled Ryoko off of me, he realized. Some hero I am...

He couldn't just stand there defeated. He had to help Misty, somehow.

But I can barely stand right now.

Ryoko was overpowering Misty, shoving her hard against the wall, tilting her head to the side, revealing her neck.

Ryoko opened her mouth in a cocky grin, pointed fangs sliding down her red lips.

Misty screamed out as Ryoko lowered her head to bite.

What to do? Damen wondered, his eyes darting around the room.

Spotting the oar, still resting on top of Xypher's clothes, he grabbed it up, turned the handle toward Ryoko, and charged.

She seen him coming. She ducked under it, reaching a hand up and pulling the oar out of Damen's hands with inhuman strength.

Startled, Damen fell back as Ryoko heaved the oar out the window. Then she turned back to Misty, pressing her back against the wall, her fangs moving closer to Misty's pale throat.

Damen's mind whirred faster and faster as he regained his balance.

He had to save Misty. But how?

Fire, he thought.

Fire kills vampires, right?

And with that thought, he dove for one of the candles on the small table in the corner.

Thank you Misty, Rex, for never shutting up about your vampire movies! Without them always talking about this stuff, I wouldn't have all these facts ingrained into my head.

"Hey, Ryoko!" Damen shouted. "Ryoko!"

Fangs just barely touching Misty's skin, Ryoko turned her eyes to Damen.

His hand trembling, his chest heaving, Damen lurched foward and thrust the candle in Ryoko's startled face.

She cried out in horror as he tried to set her dress on fire.

"No you don't!"

She shoved him backward, making him fall to the floor, sending the candle across the room.

His only shot.

Gone.

He watched as it caught the old floor on fire.

Staring at the small fire that was slowly

spreading, Ryoko laughed, her eyes glowing

red.

"I win!" she cried. "I win, you're all losers! And now you can burn to death for it!"

Tossing her hair back over one shoulder, she smiled at Damen. "But, I think I'll have a drink first. How about your girl?"

Damen tried to get up, but he didn't have much strength left, the room was tilting.

Ryoko cackled like a witch as she turned back to get Misty...

And she screamed when she faced Xypher.

"What the HELL?!" she yelped. "You're dead! I saw you die!"

Xypher smiled sweetly, giving her a wink. 

"An old man like me has a few tricks up his sleeve, too bad you won't live that long."

"How-" Ryoko's words were cut off as Xypher shoved his clawed hand through her chest with nasty cracking and squishing sounds, pulling her heart out the other side.

"You lose, little girl," Xypher said purred as he crushed her heart in his hand, sprewing blood everywhere.

Damen sat on the floor, open mouthed, as he tried to understand what happened just now.

He watched in shock as Xypher threw Ryoko's slowly crumbling body into the growing fire, which had spread to the walls.

And a coffin that Damen hadn't noticed untill now was burning, red flames covered the wooden lid.

"What took you so long?!"

Misty's cry made Damen turn back to reality.

He looked at Xypher, who only had a hole in his shirt from where Damen had pierced him, was reaching out to him.

"Sorry, love," Xypher said to Misty as he pulled Damen up to his feet. 

"I had to wait for the right time to surprise her. Not to mention that the first two times I had a shot at it, your boyfriend here tried to kill her himself."

Damen simply blinked as Xypher gave him a teasing grin. 

"Not bad, for a human. Not bad at all!"

Misty walked over to them, hands on her hips as she glared at Xypher.

"Well, I still say you could have done it faster. I started to get worried you WERE dead," she said with a huff.

"H-he was d-dead!" Damen managed to get out. "I ran him through, I saw him crumble to ash, how is he- how are you still-"

"I hate to be rude," Xypher chuckled. "But we needed you to think that you killed me so it was realistic enough to fool Ryoko."

"Huh?"

"Sorry, Damen, you were the bait the whole time," Misty said. "We knew you would follow me here, and she would follow you."

"You have to get the heart to kill me, not the stomach," Xypher said. "The rest was just effects of my own, pretty good, yes?"

"But, how?" Damen shook his head, feeling dizzy all over again.

"It was the only thing we could think of to fool her. If you would have known, well, lets just say you aren't a good actor," Misty said. 

Xypher took hold of both of their hands and pulled them toward the window. 

"We need to get you out of here. NOW."

The walls, the ceiling, the furniture, all burned under the leaping flames, crackling loudly behind them.

They both leapt over a line of flames on the floor, pulling each other out the window.

Misty turned when she realized Xypher wasn't coming out. She turned and reached her hand out to him with a pleading look.

"You're coming too! Take my hand." she begged as he shook his head at her.

"No. I have spent too long living a life I hate, I nearly forgot that I was human once." he said with a smile. 

"It's time that I go and see what fate has in store for me next. Maybe, by helping you, I have made up for at least half of my past."

"No!" Misty reached out and took his hand.

"You can find another way to live, there has to be a way. So don't you dare leave me now! I care for you Xypher! Don't do this, okay? Just come with us and-"

Xypher leaned over the windowsill and kissed her lips softly.

Damen turned red, but at this point he couldn't hate the guy, despite how much he wanted to.

When Xypher pulled away, tears were in both his, and Misty's eyes. 

"I love you. Something I never said, even when I was human. So thank you, Misty Summers, for giving me the one thing I've been craving for twelve hundred years."

He then turned to Damen. 

"Don't ever forget how lucky you are. Ever."

Pulling Misty's hand off of his, he turned and walked into the house with one last sentence...

"I love you, always."

"Nooo! You can help people, protect them like you did us! Don't die now!" Misty cried out between sobs of heartbreak.

Damen pulled her along the path untill she came willingly.

As they both ran from the house, it collapsed as it was consumed in bright red flames,

sending crows and bats flying in all directions.

The sound of the crashing inferno filled the night air, overpowering the wind and fluttering wings of the fleeing animals.

They didn't stop running untill they were at the dock.

Both of them just stood there, bent over, sweating like crazy, trying to breath without it hurting.

Misty was crying between trying to breath.

"Why, Xypher? You stupid man... you could have lived," she whispered. 

"He could have tried..."

"So, let me get this right," Damen said as he tried to catch his breath. 

"You have known what he was since last night, and you still are in love with him? And to top it all off, you used ME to get Ryoko before she found out he couldn't turn you?"

"Not all the way right, but close," Misty said as she tried to stop crying, taking in a deep breath.

"How the hell can I be only half right?" he demanded with an annoyed voice, staring at Misty.

She was bent over, breathing deeply, then she stood and smiled at him.

And then she surprised him by rushing into his arms, throwing her own arms around him tightly, pressing her hot cheek against his.

"Oh, Damen!" she said happily. "You do love me! You do!"

He froze for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her. "Of course I love you. I just suck at showing it, but I swear that if you give me one more shot, I'll never forget to tell you that every day. I thought you were gone for good..."

"Xypher was right! He said you cared, he said he could see it in your eyes," she whispered.

"So, he wasn't so bad after all, huh?"

"No, he told me last night that he saw you following us, that he couldn't bare to be the one to break us apart. And I did care for him, almost as much as I care for you, and I enjoyed how he treated me. I wasn't in love with him, not the way he loved me..."

"But you sure looked in love last night," Damen softly said. "I thought I had lost you."

"He was charming and sweet, he treated me like a lady... but he was no you. So I was happy when he said he couldn't split us up. After that we made a plan to get Ryoko, and we set you up. I'm sorry we did that, but we couldn't think of another way to surprise her on the island. And I wanted to see if you WOULD come to save me... Can you forgive me?"

Damen stood there, staring at her. 

"I have one thing to say to you."

Misty gulped and prepared for the worst. 

"And what is that?"

"I'll never be afraid of your vampire movies ever again after this shit!"


	26. Chapter 26

_CHAPTER 26_

Two nights later Damen walked with his arm around Misty's shoulder on the side of the beach closest to the island.

The past few days had been hard on them as they tried to return to normal life.

They had left a note for Storm at her job, telling her that Ryoko was gone and that the girl was safe. They also managed to convince Josh to stop looking into silly old local legends.

The island off shore was completely burned to the ground and the population of bats and crows around the beach seemed to be cut in half for reasons nobody could understand.

And Misty's family wasn't all that thrilled about having Damen back in their lives.

But they all had noticed something different about him, but not even his own family could place what the change was.

He just seemed to carry himself in a new way, like he could take on the world if need be or something. He was just, prouder, more of a man than before.

"This was one hell of a summer," Damen sighed as they slowed to look at the island.

"Yes, but it was an adventure too," Misty smiled, leaning her head onto his shoulder, feeling his warmth.

"The way you talk about that guy, the more I wish I could have known him."

"You two would have liked each other," she said with a deep sigh.

"I'm glad that he died happy..."

"I bet I know what you want to name our first son," Damen teased.

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Only if the next one is Rex."

"We have ourselves a deal then!" Misty happily said as they started to walk on.

Damen thought about his friend, both he and Misty had seen Rex in their dreams the night after the fire as he had said his final goodbye to both of them, wishing them a good life.

I get what it was I was meant to learn, Damen thought with a smile.

That I want nothing more then this girl by my side, and that I can protect her from anything.

"I love you, always," he whispered to her.

"Always and forever."

Misty was about to answer him back, when a crow flew down to land in front of them.

"What the?" Damen said as the bird seemed to look up at them.

It made it's way over to Misty's shoes and seemed to talk to her.

"Hello there little one," Misty said sweetly to it.

"Friendly aren't you?"

The crow let out a soft kawing sound and almost appeared to bow at Misty's feet.

Thats when Damen noticed that it had dark green eyes instead of yellow.

Misty noticed too, and let out a small gasp.

The bird then flew it's way up to land on her shoulder and nuzzle her cheek.

Misty giggled and stroaked the feathers on it's head, then it took flight and paused in front of Damen's face, giving him a nod of respect, before it started to fly over the sea.

"Tell me that wasn't..." Damen started, then he saw the smile on his girlfriends face.

"He listened to me after all," she whispered.

"He's going to make up for the years he used hurt others..."

And, just as the bird was nearly out of sight, they heard it. A soft voice in their heads whispering two words.

" _Thank you."_

 _THE END._

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME FOR THIS!  
let me know what you thought.  
this was my fist attempt at a fanfic back in the day.  
if you want the original book title I will let you know, it is far different from mine!

Goodnight Kiss is the original title, for those I cannot PM! ;)


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